


Breaking the Rules

by CrispyChickenXD



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-03-07 00:47:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13423167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrispyChickenXD/pseuds/CrispyChickenXD
Summary: You are a highly respected detective with a 100% success rate in solving crimes, even though your methods aren't by the rulebook. You've been breaking the rules ever since you were a kid.With sudden murders in the city of Tronio and your interest piqued, you decide to solve the cases. Your path intertwines with many mafia families, hitmen and informant brokers and while you're able to take care of them without batting an eye, there's one guy who constantly collides with you, the boss of Donquixote family, Doflamingo. The game the two of you are playing is dangerous, but you're both addicted to it. He's a criminal, you're a detective. None of you played by the rules. Even in the game of love, you were breaking them, together.





	1. Ruckus on the surface

**Author's Note:**

> My first story ever! I'm so excited and so nervous! I've been reading Doffy stories for a long time and I have decided (finally) to contribute to this crazy bastard! :D I love him, hands down best one piece character imo. Hope you enjoy :D
> 
> A/N: Doffy here is 27 years old while the reader is 25 :)

Diamond street, Wakamura Ito, 34 years old, a drug dealer, strangled in his apartment, no items missing, no goods taken. The culprit left no evidence.

Union Lane, Fujita Mikoto, 29 years old, former prostitute, committed suicide. She drank a bottle of Lysol. No letters left.

South Creek, Ishikawa Satoru, 25 years old, informant broker, shot in the head. His body was found floating in the river. The killer is still on the run.

Senna street, Mizushima Kosuke, 53 years old, bank manager, suicide by arson poisoning. Collapsed in his office. Investigation in process.

Juniper Lane, Ueno Naoka, 22 years old, police officer, raped and murdered in the ally. Investigation in process. Killers identified. 

Five murders in only one day.

“What do you think, detective?” A smooth voice came from your right. “Do you think this is the work of only one family?” Smoker approached you, looking into your eyes. He had requested your audience in order to confirm his suspicions and seek another opinion. After all, with so many crimes in recent month and people in disarray, there was no place for any mistakes.

Your voice was levelled and confident. “Far from it, Smoker. Few parties are involved in this, except from the last murder. Some idiots thought they could pin everything onto the mafia and get away with it – Ueno Naoka found herself in a wrong place at the wrong time. Fujita Mikoto and Mizushima Kosuke…” you placed your chin in your fingers while thinking. “Those two are most likely killed by the same person and tough I could name a few who specialize in poisoning, it doesn’t make sense.”

Smoker nodded in understanding, “A prostitute and a bank manager. I could imagine why someone from the mafia would kill a bank manager, but why a prostitute? A former one, nevertheless.” 

“I would sooner imagine killing a prostitute rather than a bank manager.” Smoker raised his eyebrow, but you ignored him. You were already analysing the situation. 

Fujita Mikoto retired four years ago. If she wanted to blackmail a mafia boss whom she serviced, she would had done it long time ago. It might be that she’s just a random victim or she was smarter (and more patient) than you had thought. But what about the old man then? He was probably randomly picked in order to make this investigation messier and more complicated.

A small drug dealer like Wakamura Ito wasn’t a threat to any family. He didn’t even have more than four clients. But Ishikawa Satoru… He was the main target. Other murders were only to add more work for the police and divert them from what was important. If we exclude the murder of Ueno Naoka then we have four planned murders. A symbolism, perhaps?

That’s when it clicked in your head. Four murders – four emperors. The strongest mafia families in the world. _They must be planning something_ , you mused. 

_Interesting… You’re all making such a ruckus on the surface to keep whatever you’re doing underground hidden. As if I wouldn’t show up uninvited to a party._

“Oi, where are you going detective?!” Smoker shouted after you, but you were at the end of the hall.

You stopped and turned around with a smile on your face. “I’ll help you solve this case, Inspector. I’m intrigued. Hence, I’ll go and snoop around.” Your smile turned into a smirk when you saw his disappointed face. “Don’t tell me the reason you sought me out today is more of a private nature? And to do such a thing at work? My, my, Smokey, you kinky bastard.” His face reddened and he turned around, mumbling how you were impossible to deal with.

You turned around a few corners and entered the office of your favourite clumsy lieutenant, Donquixote Rosinante. Your sudden entrance took him by surprise and he almost fell out of his chair, his cigar falling on his reports. Rosinante was able to keep the papers from catching fire, letting out a sigh of relief.

“(Y/n), how many times must I tell you not to do that?” He was patient as if talking to a little child, flashing a big smile at you and urging you to sit down.

You sat and crossed your legs. “Do you hear with your brother, Cora-san?” The seriousness on your face got reflected on Rosinante’s. 

“I haven’t heard from Doffy in years. He’s here? I thought he was in Dressrosa. What has he done now?” 

“I don’t think _he_ has done anything for now, but considering the circumstances he might.” Rosinante urged you to continue. “As a matter of fact, not only your brother, but all mafia families might act. Something’s going on in the underworld, Cora, and I don’t know what it is yet.”

“You’re telling me all these murders in past month are only an exhibition what they’re capable of?” Corazon’s eyes narrowed, you could tell he was getting angry 

Then he wouldn’t like what you had to say next either. “No, I…” You felt a strong presence coming and soon after, the door opened. Standing in the doorway was none other but Sakazuki Akainu, one of the police admirals. 

“What is this?!” He demanded an explanation raising his voice, “And what is she doing here?! I thought I had you suspended for next five months!” 

Looks like you forgot about that. Oops. 

The reason for your suspension was stupid anyways. You may have beaten the shit out of the guy who wouldn’t cooperate with you, and you may have destroyed a local shop in gunfire with some small gang and you may have killed every one last of them, but it was self-defence, really! Nothing drastic your superiors weren’t able to get over. It was just a small mistake. 

Corazon was about to reply, but you spoke first as you turned around and dropped your arm over the back rest. “I was about to confess to lieutenant and ask him on a date. Way to go and ruin the mood, admiral.” 

The seething rage in Akainu’s eyes spoke volumes, so you rose from your seat and made your way towards the doors. “I’ll see you at Homra, lieutenant. Eight o’clock, don’t be late.” 

You heard Akainu swearing, “That bitch!” as you were leaving and it brought a smile on your lips. You liked pissing off guys like him. 

Out of the police station and with one destination in mind, you decided on walking instead of driving. The place wasn’t far away and the cool breeze which made your long, sand-coloured trench coat flow, also cleared your mind. How long has it passed since last time you went to that place? It might’ve been ages. 

Tronio was always an interesting city. It was build by criminals and operated by criminals, but not in the way many would think of. Usually, it was more or less peaceful, with moderate crime rate and ridiculous tourism. The city would appeal to any tourist, lulling each and every one of them with promises of quick wealth, fun, games, men, women. _Panem et circenses._

Yet, the city had a secret, known only to criminals. Underneath the city of dreams, was the city of nightmares. Underneath the mare illusion of what people presumed was Tronio, was the real city, the city of blood and killers. The city which looked exactly the same as the one above, but instead of casinos and bars there were auction houses and drug factories. The city underneath was a playground for mafia bosses. Buy and sell, gain power and erase the competition. As if they were playing Monopoly, only a much deadlier one. 

You reach the place you were walking to. Red Rum, the most luxurious casino in the city and the portal to the underworld. The casino owned by none other than one of the emperors, Kaido of the Beasts. It was time you payed those murderers a visit. 


	2. Dirty Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it took me damn long to update! I'm sorry! But real life kinda prevented me and when I finally did get to write this bad boy down I had to edit it 10 times at the very least. I don't know about others, but editing in my dictionary is a full blown process of writing/re-writing. And I'm still not fully satisfied, but oh well... 
> 
> Do let me know what you think in the comments! :D

“She’s coming.” The large muscular man whispered, smiling to himself.

“How can you tell? You haven’t even checked the security cameras. She’s not on any of them.” The ravenhead tapped his right arm with his golden hook and puffed his cigar. He’s already had enough of the people in the room. Another person would only irritate him even more.

The man took a large swig of his drink, tears streaming down his face. “When you’ve spent so much time with someone, boy… You can tell what they’ll do and how they’ll react.” Crocodile let out a ‘tch’ sound. There was no point in arguing with a drunk man, especially if that man was Kaido.

“Fufufufufu… how interesting.” The blond added.

****

You felt eyes on you. Some criminals were observing you from the allies, some were leaning on the buildings without a care in the world, some were already on their way to report to their bosses. Some were preparing their weapons, some were already aiming your way. But none dared to fire.

A smirk appeared on your lips. You were an intruder. An intruder interrupting their balance in the underworld. Just as they were interrupting the balance on the surface. How ironic.

As you neared your destination you couldn’t help but wonder why you accepted the case. Whatever Kaido and his partners were planning was dangerous. Accepting the case equalled suicide, yet you couldn’t help yourself. The danger intrigued you and drew you like a moth to a flame. There it was. Kaido’s company from where he operated. You knew they were already waiting for you. You knew at least Kaido was.

_Well, well, well, how am I about to do this?_

Your Colt M1911 on the shoulder holster was loaded and safety was off. If push came to shove, you’d use it without a single thought. One knife was ready on your arm holster on your left arm and another one on your right. You also had one on your leg, just in case everything went to hell.

Two guards in front of the gates drew their guns as you approached. The bulkier guy opened his mouth to say something, but your knife was already piercing his head. Two lifeless bodies fell onto the ground with a thud. As you approached you picked your knives up, cleaning them with a handkerchief. _The best moment to kill a target is when they least expect it_ , you remembered his words.

The feeling of everyone’s eyes on you intensified. Turning around, you thought someone would pull the trigger, yet no one did. It surprised you to an extent, but you refused to show it on your face.

You entered the grand lobby of Kaido’s company. Other members of the family let you pass without any difficulties - they didn’t even try to stop you vocally. Some even nodded in respect and upon recognizing some faces you nodded back. Soo, he was indeed expecting you. The stage was already set and he was waiting for you to start the act.

You hummed a familiar tune along the jazz music which accompanied you on your ride to the top floor. If you weren’t on your way to meet one of the most feared gangsters in the world, this whole ride wouldn’t be filled with so much suspense. You’d never admit it out loud, but you were getting nervous. A detective willingly coming to the lair of a beast? It would sound ridiculous to anyone. Not to mention how you were alone and with no backup, while Kaido had hundreds of men in the same building. The whole outcome of this depended on Kaido’s behaviour and his mood.

The doors of the elevator opened with a ‘bing’ and you stepped out, leaving your worries behind you. The hallway had stayed the same as you remembered, with grey shades prevailing. You noticed few added plants and the fact that secretary’s desk was moved so she could face whoever came. She reminded you of a deer in headlights, the dumb look on her face asking the obvious question: Who the hell are you?

Not minding her at all, you proceeded towards Kaido’s office. You knew your way around. As you stood before gigantic mahogany double doors, the rational part of your brain questioned your sanity. A sigh left your mouth and your hand wrapped around the doorknob.

“Mamamamama! It was about time you showed up, sweetie!” The familiar laughter caught you off guard as you stepped inside.

_Is this supposed to be some kind of a sick joke?!_

You were expecting Kaido, maybe two-three bosses of other families at most, but you never expected to see so many people in one gigantic conference room. The amused expressions on their faces spoke volume, and any idea of ruckus you may have wanted to cause suddenly vanished.

The world’s most notorious criminals were all there: Red-haired Shanks with Ben Beckman, Whitebeard with Marco and a new guy you haven’t seen before, Big Mom with Perospero and Katakuri, Kaido with Jack, Crocodile with Daz, Doflamingo with Vergo, Hancock with her two sisters, Capone Bege with Vito, Basil Hawkins with Faust, Apoo, X-Drake and Urouge with their right-hand men whose names you forgot and two new faces you didn’t know at all. They were all there in the same room.

Jack approached you slowly. “I’d like to have your gun.” He extended his hand.

“And I’d like to have your head on a silver platter, Jack.” You were quick to respond and smiled at him. “Guess we both won’t be getting what we want today.”

Shanks’ and Whitebeard’s laughter reached your ears. “Oi, oi, young lady.” Said Shanks. “No need to be so hostile. We even saved you a seat.”

There was no point in arguing, you were outnumbered anyway. Glaring at the people in the room, you sat at the only empty seat, the one between Kaido and Doflamingo. As Kaido drank another bottle of sake and others ate the food, you patiently waited until someone started talking.

“To tell the truth, I’m disappointed.” Kaido remarked, “I’ve been expecting you to come here two weeks ago.” Your calm demeanour didn’t waver.

“Then I’m also disappointed in whoever you get your information from, Kaido-san, because I’ve been suspended for five months by Sakazuki himself.” Doflamingo’s charismatic laughter invaded your personal space as you noticed the man turning all of his attention towards you.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of TV or newspapers?” Doflamingo smirked. “To think I heard so much about the great detective (Y/N). Guess those were only stories.”

Your eyebrow twitched in irritation and your finger started drumming on your hand. You couldn’t deny, you knew well what was happening for the past month. You just refused to do anything about it because of your pride. You hoped to see Sakazuki crawling to you and begging you to come and solve the cases. Those were only fantasies, but you refused to come back on your own.

“Gurararara! I think it’s time we tell her why we’re all here. It’s no secret that she hates being kept in the dark.” Whitebeard was perceptive as ever. However, this time, not even you were sure if you wanted to know what was going on.

Since Kaido was still drinking, Crocodile took the initiative. “We’re all fed up with the way this town is operated.” Your eyebrow rose at that.

“So, you’re fed up with you guys running the city?” All of their stares were on you again, amused expressions on their faces present as well. “I might be wrong, but I never got the impression this city was run by government. At least not the one people would assume.”

Bege joined in, puffing his cigar. “Let’s just say the government and their dogs put themselves on high pedestal ever since we encountered some difficulties in running our business the way we did before.”

“Who are you honestly trying to fool, Bege?” A smirk played on your lips. “I can tell at least ten deals for each and every one of you that went remarkably well. You don’t mind the government and their dogs, you all find the chase thrilling. The problem is your greed. You want daytime for yourselves as well.” By the smirks on their faces you knew you hit the nail on the head. “It won’t happen, ladies and gentlemen.”

“You sure sound cocky for someone surrounded by mobsters!” The young redhead yelled. He was young, early twenties and you could tell impulsive. An easy prey for you.

You turned towards Kaido, pointing at the young man. “Where’d you get this guy? Kindergarten?”

Shanks and Whitebeard laughed again, you assumed they had drunk a little too much, and the redhead fumed. “Oi, shitty woman! I’m Eustass Kid, the don of Kid family! You’ll talk to me with respect!”

The look you gave him said no. Refusing to acknowledge him further, you continued. “Day belongs to the police. Night belongs to the mafia. It’s always been like that. You’re disrupting the balance for few more bucks you’d earn.”

“Not for more money. We all earn more than enough.” Boa added. “It’s to make a point. To show the world who actually runs this town and who actually controls others as well.”

You hummed acknowledging her words. Was it to show the world who runs it? The world already knew that. The world knew the most important things, the preparations, were happening behind the curtains. No, there must be something else, a bigger picture. Something you weren’t seeing. “I read in a book that the happiest man is the one who has nothing. When all you’ve got is nothing, there’s a lot to go around. But the government isn’t like that. The police aren’t like that either.” You were looking at Boa this time. “The government dogs aren’t the ones who’ll let you take their bone without biting first. You want to take something that’s theirs? Fine. But expect a war to break out for it.”

The room fell silent for a moment. “Fufufufufu, we’re kind of counting on it.” Your attention turned towards the flamboyant man. “You’re an intelligent woman. You’ll figure it out eventually.”

Donquixote Doflamingo. He was the one pulling the strings. He was the one who planted the idea of whatever it is they’re trying to pull off into Kaido’s head. The one who held the rains to the monsters sitting at the table. The puppeteer. And the person you had to take down first if you wanted to win this game.

The enormous grin on his face only irked you more. He knew things you didn’t and was a step in front of you, if not two.

Kaido broke the staring contest between the two of you. Well, you and Doflamingo’s sunglasses. “Step down from this mission, (Y/N). It’s none of your business anyway.” Somehow, that irritated you even more than anything else said. Kaido sensed you were about to barrage him with insults, so he continued. “You’re a private detective, not a police officer. You’re not bound to help them. I’ll pay you three times the amount of what they promised you if you keep your nose out of this.”

“That’s a lot of money to pay someone, especially since you want them to sit around and do nothing.” You got up from your seat, knowing you were done there and wouldn’t get any more information out of them. “I refuse.” You stared Kaido down. “The nice thing about being a private detective is that you’re your own boss. I get to choose my cases. The moment my interest was piqued this case was marked as mine.”

Kaido slammed his hand on the table, throwing most of the things on the floor. He was a pissed drunk now, how wonderful. “I made a mistake of making you think you had a choice in this.” His eyes were burning with anger. “You’ve worked for me for years!! Don’t think I don’t know which buttons to push, (Y/N)!”

You remarked venomously, pinning him down with your stare. “The throne you’re sitting on, Kaido-san, is built by your muscles and my brain! Don’t you _dare_ think for a second I won’t crumble it down!!”

Jack pointed his pistol at you and others followed suit. You didn’t reach for yours, doing that would have guaranteed your death. You were staring at Kaido, who started laughing, genuinely laughing. The man’s mood swings were legendary. “When was the last time I saw you this angry? When was the last time I saw you wish a death upon a man so badly?” Rhetorical questions. Is this a new form of an old drunkard? A philosophical Kaido? “Is it so bad of me to wish my right-hand back?”

“It’s delusional to ask for someone who’s been dead for years.” You answered grasping your temper under control again. Showing emotion in this situation is giving yourself a death sentence, a mistake you had already made.

“I might be drunk, but I’m not blind. I recognize the person before me quite well.” Is this the calm before the storm, you wondered.  

“You might want to pay a visit to your doctor, Kaido-san. Your eyesight is quite bad.”

The words died. You were staring at each other in utter silence. Kaido sighed and you took that as your cue to leave. You wanted to leave the place in one piece, after all. You turned around and pushed Jack out of your way. He didn’t stop you nor did others.

“Reconsider, young lady.” Whitebeard’s voice reached your ears at the door. A genuine smile appeared on your lips, but it died just as soon as it came. You always liked the old man Whitebeard. Maybe because he gave a damn, maybe you found his voice soothing or because he was always willing to talk, you weren’t sure. It’s such a shame you weren’t on the same side anymore.

You turned your head and cast your glance at him. “There’s nothing to reconsider, Whitebeard. I’ve made up my mind. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have a month’s pile of work to do.”

********

Homra’s cosy atmosphere greeted you as you entered. Lively small talk, the smell of cigarettes, ale and strong alcohol, the luster of rosewood and jazz classics in the background. There weren’t many people in the pub, only regulars.

You signalled to Rayleigh to bring you whiskey this time. Rosinante was already sitting at the table in the back and drinking whiskey. You expected him to smoke as well, but you were mistaken. He noticed you approach. He pushed the chair beside him with his long leg for you to sit.

“By the expression on your face, I’d say we’re in deep shit.” He commented and took a small sip of his drink.

“You can’t even imagine.” Rayleigh got your glass of whiskey. As he looked at the two of you, he went back to the bar and returned with the whole bottle.

A smile graced his lips. “It’s on the house tonight. You both look like you need it.” Leave it to your local bartender to know exactly what you need and when you need it.

You told Rosinante most of the story. Who you came upon in the building, things relevant to your case, asked for his opinion on the matter, discussed few options how to proceed and how to lure the criminals into your trap. Yet, no matter what the two of you came up with, you weren’t satisfied. It always seemed like a good possibility, but the one you knew would fail in the end. As frustration grew, the bottle you shared became emptier. Rosinante told you about his argument with Sakazuki regarding your help and how it took too much of his energy. He started talking about Sengoku as well, but his speech turned into constant mumbling you just couldn’t decipher. He was such a lightweight you had to laugh. With your bottle gone and Rosinante ready for bed, you left Homra at 9.56 p.m.

You hailed a cab and helped the lieutenant reach his flat. Since you knew your way around, you prepared a glass of water and aspirin for the next morning. You also turned his alarm clock on so he could get up for his duties.

As you left his apartment, you just hoped he wouldn’t do anything stupid once he’s awake. Something like lighting up his apartment on fire… again.

It was a starry night. A perfect one for mafia business. No matter how much you liked to snoop around, you had to refrain yourself. There was no point. You needed leads first, strategy second, action third.

Climbing up the stairs of your building, you were once again asking yourself why there were no elevators. You reached the unlocked doors of your apartment which you _knew_ you didn’t leave that way. You took your pistol out and cautiously entered. You found the person in your living room.

“What are _you_ doing here?”   


	3. Dead men tell no tales

“Fufufufufu. you’re the embodiment of hospitality, aren’t you?” The blond man grinned as you approached with your gun aimed at him. He was sprawled on your couch as if he owned the place, a glass in his hand.

“And you’re the embodiment of good manners then. How did you get in?” You noticed your shogi set prepared for a game. Doflamingo certainly didn’t come only to play shogi against you. There must be a different kind of game he envisioned.

“You have a shitty lock.” Noticing your gaze on the set, another fit of laughter escaped his lips and the usual smile appeared. “Up for a game? It’s hard to find worthy opponents these days.” A game against the man you had to take down first… The offer alone was intriguing but the actual possibility of learning Doflamingo’s way of thought made it irresistible.

You sat down with your gun still in hand and placed your pawn on 2f. The game was on. You assumed he was quite experienced in shogi which turned the game into a quick game. Doflamingo smirked back and played his pawn on 8d. Your same pawn moved to 2e and he mirrored by moving his to 8e. Gold to 7h, gold to 3b, your pawn to 2d. Double wing attack opening, success. Pawn takes pawn on 2d, your rook recaptured, Doflamingo placed the taken pawn to 2c. At this point you had two options, to return your rook to 2h or to a more common 2f. You opted for the former. Doflamingo’s pawn moved to 3d, you played silver to 3h, his other pawn moved from 8e to 8f. You accepted his pawn trade. With his rook he takes the pawn on 8f. You pawn drop. Rook to 8d, pawn to 7f.

With each and every move the two of you made, with every sound of wooden pieces hitting the board, you learned more about him. He was flexible, thoughtful, cunning. He wouldn’t mind negotiating with the opposing party if it meant he’d gain something valuable in return.

Double reclining silver. Few moves later, bishop trade. Silver took silver, pawn captured the remaining silver. You continued aggressively with silver to 6f. Pushing back and forth with him as you continued the speed play, you managed to promote your bishop. Drops from both sides, takings of each other pieces followed until Doflamingo’s threat with pawn drop to 6f. You analysed more ways how he could checkmate you and were forced to think hard to find a solution. By forcing you to capture the pieces he dropped, which he had many, you were on the verge of defeat. Doflamingo’s next move of targeting your gold instead of your king surprised you, but if this game was an indicator of how the two of you would fight, ensuring the security of his “king” is a prevention of mistakes on his part. But that same move enabled you to come with a strategy to take him down. In the next few moves he checked you and promoted the same rook, now a dragon, he used to target your gold, without taking it. You dropped bishop to 9h attacking the dragon while in reality, targeting his king and preventing a checkmate. In next few moves, he took your offered rook on 2f and sealed his fate. You dropped silver on 2b, his gold took it, your silver promoted on 4c.

“I resign.” So, he realised it. No matter what he would’ve done from that point you would’ve checkmated him in the end.

The ever-present smile was still there, yet it seemed not as genuine as before. He hated losing. So did you. If anyone else was playing against him, he would’ve won. No doubt about it.

At the start of the game you first thought you’d smirk or tease him after he lost. Now, in the present moment, you weren’t so sure anymore. No, you’d anything but tease him. The man was a threat. This game only proved that point. You would take him seriously and consider him your equal.

“Fufufufu, you know…” he started staring right into your eyes. You didn’t see his eyes but you felt the stare. “This is the reason we wanted you out of the picture.” He pointed towards the shogi set.

Your unpredictability. It was a great asset to have, but bad to have against you. Sometimes, not even you could predict your next moves. And that made it terrifying. It made your brain desired and a threat one must get rid of.

You made yourself wonder what his opinion on the matter was. Was he still glad he had a worthy opponent among police to play against? Was he angry his plans and strategies wouldn’t go as smoothly as he wanted them to? Would it interfere in his goals? Was he counting on it? Was he expecting it? Did he let you win on purpose so you’d think you outsmarted him? Was this game just a game or start of _the_ game?

_Stop. You’re thinking too much._

He rose from the couch and went towards your living room, which in reality was your working room. He stood in front of the map of the city marked with many colourful interconnected pins. “These are cases from last month. I had time to inspect them while I waited for you to arrive. Except this one,” he took the small red pin and moved it a few centimetres upwards, “all of them are correct.”

You watched the place he marked. So, you were wrong about the hideout of that one gang. This didn’t settle well with you, but there was no point in sulking about it. “Doesn’t matter.” He looked at you with a smirk on his face. Indeed, it didn’t, and he knew exactly why. It didn’t matter whether you knew the way criminals operated and thought if you couldn’t back it up with solid evidence. Without evidence, they’re innocent.

“What’s the real reason you’re here?”

“Can’t a shogi game be a reason enough?” He replied teasingly.

A smile which didn’t reach your eyes appeared on your lips. “Only if we were shooting a movie.” In the world you two belonged, the only reason for visit is business. There is no room for friends, no room for games just for the sake of games. “Talk before I throw you out of my apartment.” You teased him back.

A devious smirk appeared on his lips, “Oh, really? I wonder how you’ll do that.” You shot a glare at him as he sat in front of your computer. He raised his chin to point at your desktop. “That’s the real reason I’m here.”

The guy was incredible. While you were getting drunk with his brother, he was working on cracking your computer and searching for information. He wouldn’t even let you make your move, he was making his and ensuring his advantage over you and the cops. He’s a dirty player, alright.

“I never took you as a computer wizard. My bad.” Considering he stayed all this time until you returned, he probably didn’t crack it.

Doflamingo replied with a chuckle. “I’m not. But the team of hackers I sent here weren’t able to hack into your computer. After hours of no results, I came here to send them all back. Seeing as I was already in your apartment, I decided to wait for you to come back.”

Hours… That must mean they broke into your apartment the moment you were called by Smoker into the police station. When you left to see Kaido personally, you only gave them more time to hack it. Not that it would matter, but knowing you left such opening for them to act upon made you slightly irritated at yourself. Time without real adversaries has taken its toll on you.

You nodded in understanding. “You work fast. I’ll give you that.” Even though he’s not a computer cracker, he’s a cracker. A people oriented one. He stayed so he could exploit your weaknesses and learn about you. _Well, two can play that game._

“There’s one thing I can’t fully understand. And I bet you’ve been thinking about it hard before making the decision.” His curiosity was piqued and his demeanour, even though it seemed casual, was in fact, defensive. “Why would you involve so many different personalities in your project? You must’ve realised the goal you’ve set and the one they envisioned aren’t the same.”

The grin, which you at this point considered normal interaction, appeared. “Whatever goals others may have don’t really matter to me. In fact, their personalities and beliefs don’t matter at all either. This is business. I have benefit from them, they have benefit from me. That mutual benefit is the reason why no one will back out on this.”

“Fair enough. But you must also realise not all of them are devoid of emotions.” His grin fell and mouth frowned. A vein popped on his forehead. He was getting angry, good. You were testing how many buttons you’ll have to push to cross the line. “The good thing about mafia families are bonds that eventually form among the members. Some stay cold-hearted bastards, but not everyone is bound to. Having said that, you do understand I’ll find those few weak spots and attack where you’re all most vulnerable.”

Another vein joined the first one and you felt the menacing stare behind the glasses. A moment of silence passed by before he started laughing loudly. “Our weaknesses you say? Alright, fire away! Can’t wait to see what you’ll dig up!” He threw his head backwards. “Fufufufu... What will it be? Kidnapping? Murder? Espionage? Blackmail? Will you have someone hack us? What will you do!? What will the almighty “Napoleon of Crime” do?!”

Another fit of laughter came as he watched you. He found something amusing about you. You couldn’t tell what it was. Did he find the crack he was looking for? You didn’t say anything that would imply you had a weakness. Was it the expression on your face? In your eyes? The sound of one of your nicknames on his lips? The reminder of your dark past? What was it?!

“Fufufufu… That’s more like it.” You frowned at his words, demanding an explanation. “You see…” He bent towards you, his elbows touching his knees and hands intertwined in front of his mouth. “You think you’re untouchable. Thanks to that I found your error. Your own little weakness.” The grin on his face was the biggest one you’ve seen so far. “I’ll attack where you’re the most vulnerable too.”

What was he talking about? Was he bluffing? Were you so transparent to this man or he mistook something about you? If he did, you could use it to your advantage.

He rose from the chair he’d been sitting on, a satisfied smirk mocking you. “I’ve heard so many stories… The “Napoleon of Crime”, “Jack of all Trades”, “Angel of Death”. The most wanted criminal on Interpol’s list. The crimes you’ve committed outclass even those of the Emperors. The stories were only rumours, but these rumours echoed around the world. People were talking even though there isn’t a single person that was targeted by you and got to live to tell the tale.” He made a step towards you. “And yet, here you are. In a small apartment and working for the same government you wanted to take down. You’re even worse than government dogs.”

A sigh left your lips. “I honestly hate to repeat myself, Mr. Donquixote. That person you just talked about? She’s gone – never to return. Dead.” His smirk faded, but the corners of his lips were still lightly pointing upwards. “The stories you heard? Exaggerations.” You pointed your gun at him. “Now, as much as I would love to chat with you, I have other things to take care off.”

He understood the message and headed towards the door. He threw a glance at the map of the city, contemplating on something. “I’ll determine whether those stories were exaggerations or not.” He then turned towards you. “Keep the door unlocked. I plan to visit tomorrow.” With a click of your lock, he was gone.

_Son of a bitch!_

He didn’t just come to collect info, he didn’t just come to play against you nor talk, he came to unnerve you. And you had to admit, he was doing a good job. Maybe he didn’t find it, but just the mention of it made you think he did. The weakness.

The fatal error.

The fatal error which sent you in kernel panic every time you lost control over your system. The error being none other than you. The cold-hearted criminal hiding behind the mask you’ve built over the last few years. The patient devil in your soul who waited for an opportunity to get a hold on you. The insanity you possessed and which led you through most of your life.

You couldn’t sleep. You knew the nightmares would come if you did. Nightmares of your dead family. The product of your insanity. You checked the clock. It showed 3:47 a.m.

It was 5:13 a.m. Sleep never came. But an idea did.

The only way to keep control over yourself. To ignore the killing intent and bloodlust which would occupy your mind. To keep the real you locked behind the imaginary bars in your brain. Hacking. Strategizing.

You had Doflamingo’s phone number from the first time you met him. Hacking into his phone would give you access to all of his contacts, all of his calls, all of his messages, his files. Through his contacts you could access phones of all the guys associated with his plan. Every Mafioso under your control.

With some time, you could hack into their bank accounts and wipe all of their data. Millions deleted in a matter of seconds. It would be a big blow on their resources, but it would mean little to nothing if all of them are committed to the plan. Whatever guns, chemicals, bombs they needed they’d share and pay once everything was over. You needed someone out. Someone important whose place wouldn’t be easily replaced. But not just one family. You needed as many as possible.

Trust and loyalty are the foundations of any family. Break those two and you have a state of anarchy.

You could pull that off. Nothing was impossible. But first, their objective.   

You hacked into Doflamingo’s phone and took all of the files on it. As you inspected them, you noticed there was nothing of importance. Only phone numbers of his associates. There were no messages, no phone calls. He wiped his call log and messages daily. It was all good as long as you had contact info of others.

You still didn’t know their objective. Was it a coordinated action against police? Were they trying to install fear into the public and appear as saviours? Blackmailing the government? Taking over cities? Chaos? Disruption of law implemented by society? Or were they bored? Just like you have gotten?

No, you had to think outside of the box. Something major had to be happening in the world if all of them decided to act. Together nonetheless.

You hacked into Crocodile’s phone only to find it empty. You tried with Kaido’s, then Whitebeard’s. Every phone you hacked had the same result. Every phone except Katakuri’s. His phone had one message from Doflamingo. It said: “Are you having fun?”

_Fuck._ They were expecting you to hack their phones. The only thing none of them knew, and the fact you’d take advantage of, is the identity of the person who was hacking them. They didn’t know the hacker -  they knew the detective. Kaido, even after all the years you’ve worked for the man, wasn’t aware you knew how to code. If he didn’t know, the likelihood of others knowing is zero percent. You never made mistakes when hacking, you were untraceable. They were expecting you to find someone who does even though the message was meant for you.

You could play with that information.

Which in the end meant you were hacking the wrong people. You were supposed to hack Ishikawa Satoru, the informant broker. The reason they killed him was information he wasn’t supposed to have. But considering how thorough they were, you doubted you’d find anything. Their hackers got to his computer first. Therefore, you were supposed to hack those you were working with. The police department. FBI if needed.

And who better to hack than the man in charge, Sengoku. He had to have information which you were looking for. You connected to the server and accessed his account in a matter of seconds. Their poorly written security system hasn’t been updated for two months which made it more vulnerable than your neighbours wifi password.

It was funny in a way. How a few lines of code could mess up the whole system. How that same system wasn’t aware of you breaching it. How much knowledge you gained by hacking people. How it made you feel alive. Made you a god of modern world. It was a loop you’ve fallen into and couldn’t get out. Not that you wanted to get out.

The power. The control. They were your drugs. You had everything at the tip of your fingertips. At the press of your command.

You scrolled through secret projects, hidden files, records, things you’ve inspected long time ago. A new top secret mission caught your eye. It was protected by a password. Extra security for only one file? It felt as if it was your birthday.

Normally, you’d go with the dictionary brute-force attack but knowing Sengoku, the password was probably the same one he used everywhere. He thought just because it was a weird one, no one would be able to crack it. It did take you some time when you were cracking it for the first time, now it felt as if it was your own.

_G0aTsSayM0r4lJust1c3_

As you predicted, you were in. The mission wasn’t active and was pending. It was probably awaiting the Government’s approval. The file possessed every info known to the FBI about the criminals you faced yesterday. There were records and all of the cases FBI assumed they were connected to, but those cases weren’t solved due to lack of evidence. The goal of the mission was to capture, as the FBI called them, the Mafiosi alliance. The file mentioned the possible location where the mission should take place, possibilities how to lure them in, personnel to assist the action, etc. You could tell from first glance it was bound to fail. You saved the fie to your computer in case you ever needed it.

No wonder the mission was pending. It was still in the process of making. You remembered Reverie was about to happen in two months. The presidents of all countries would be there, discussing the future of the world. This might be one of the topics.

It suddenly clicked. The objective. The reason they were teaming up. The Reverie. The best time to inflict malware on the nations, send them into state of panic, corrupt their minds and take advantage. The state of chaos. They wouldn’t need to take guns in their hands. Others would take them for them. Wars would break out. They’d stop them with the resources they already possess. Become the world saviours. They were trying to create a new world. The world dictated by them and only them, approved by the people. Because if they were selected via democracy, no one could complain, right?

No, Doflamingo probably sought for more than that. He would use them as he saw fit and then, with time, get rid of each person that helped him achieve his goal. In the end, he’d be the only ruler of the world and his family the only enforcers of his will. He’d become the modern version of god on this planet. And people would love him, praise him, glorify him. He’s a charismatic man, he could pull it off.

You had to make sure Reverie happened before the Mafiosi alliance could act. The only way you could do that is making a fuss so big it asked for immediate attention from the Government. Hard to pull off, but not impossible.

You needed a team. A good one.

And to let the devil take over your soul once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trivia:**
> 
> The shogi game between the reader and Doflamingo is the game played between Yoshihari Habu and Daisuke Nakagawa at NHK-cup tournament in 2007. You have the game on youtube if you're interested in the full game, since I haven't written every move down ;) 
> 
> The idea of "taking over the world" and how it's supposed to go is a reference to Doffy's take over Dressrosa. You probably noticed that, but just saying XD 
> 
> Tell me what you think and thanks for reading! ^_^


	4. What's in it for you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oya, oya! It took me quite a while to get this chapter out. It's a real miracle I've been able to write it down actually. I feel as if I've rushed on certain parts, but eh, idk, you tell me XD
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“No matter how you look at it, villains and heroes are two sides of the same coin. Villains have their ambitions they wish to make a reality and heroes are there to stop them. One can’t exist without the other... So, following those thoughts, what happens when villains decide to flip the coin? Turn the tables over?” The ravenhead let out a sigh after hearing your mumbling.

“I don’t care, (Y/N)-ya.” He turned on his chair towards you. “I’m a doctor, my job is to save lives. It doesn’t matter to me whose life I’m saving.”

You eyed him from the medical bed you were resting on, a knowing smile appearing on your lips. “Oh? Is that so, doctor?” With a huff, you rose to sit on the bed. “Are you honestly saying you value men equally?”

Law was fast to reply. “I don’t value men equally. I value life.” The look he gave you dared you to fight him over it. Yet, this time, you refused to indulge in those games. You would prove him otherwise some other time. “Why did you come here so early in the morning? Or rather, what do you need from me, (Y/N)-ya?”

“When villains become heroes and heroes become villains, you add a third party to the game. You bring the saviours. I want you to be my saviour, Law.”

He was looking at you in amusement, a smirk on his lips and caution in his stare. You continued, “You’ve spent quite some time with Doflamingo and his family, correct?” Even if Law hadn’t had nodded to confirm it, you were aware how much Doflamingo valued the young man. The future _Corazón_. “I want you back in the game, doctor.”

“Don’t be absurd.” His voice was calm and collected. As expected of the only man who knew of your true self. “I got out of the family to pursue my own dreams. Cora-san freed me from Doflamingo and his insanity. Where in the world did you get the idea I’d return to that demon?”

“I bet he’d take you back immediately.” You could tell he was getting irritated by the knowing smile on your face. “I don’t know what went between you guys, but if you do have some grudge against the man, now’s the time to take revenge.”

“There’s no grudge between us. We only went each our own way, that’s all there’s to it. Doflamingo might be a demon, but I’m a surgeon today thanks to him. Cora-san only prevented me from diving into the darkness. So, I’ll repeat my question. Why should I go back to him?”

 _Come on, Law. Stop playing hard to get._ “For the greater good, Law. So you could save the lives like you always do.” He was taken aback by your words and you had to admit to yourself, you liked seeing that expression on his face. It felt like you were meeting the side of Law you didn’t know existed. “You’re a doctor, aren’t you?”

“Don’t think I’d fall for your tricks.” He sighed again. “There is a limit to how much a single person can do. Besides, why would I run back to Doflamingo now? Why now when I could’ve done that sooner? Do you honestly think he wouldn’t suspect me?”

A laugh escaped you. “You’re a great actor, Law. You’ll think of a story.”

“I refuse.” His words were definite. You could argue with him all day long and he wouldn’t change his mind. You had to give it to him, the man was stubborn. Probably just one of his many qualities Doflamingo found promising.

You had to step up your game then. “I didn’t ask, Law.” You walked up to him and showed him your phone screen. “Do you know whose room this is?” The instant recognition on his face was proof enough for you. “Under the floor beneath his bed is a custom made bomb. The bomb can only be deactivated by me. Try to touch it and it will explode. Are you willing to place the life of the man you cherish the most in danger because of your foolishness?”

Law clenched his fists and you could _hear_ his teeth grinding. Rosinante had always been his weak spot. The look in his eyes told you he had probably killed you in his mind. “Aren’t you partners, you monster?! Isn’t Cora-san the reason you’re working as a detective?!! Why would you turn your back on the only man who believed in you?!”

Why? What an absurd question. A devilish smile appeared on your lips. “Because it’s in my nature.”

His fist connected with your cheek and your head followed the path of his punch. While your head had moved, your body stayed still, the smile never leaving your lips. He was breathing heavily, realising how you’ve placed him in a small box he couldn’t get out from. He was just a variable in your code. An important one, but still replaceable. Why can’t he understand that?

“Don’t worry, Law. If you do as I tell you, Cora-san will be safe. Promise.”

He stared at you once again, his face emotionless. “You’re as insane as that motherfucker. I honestly hope you kill each other.” Hearing words like that from a doctor was pure irony. Well, Law was the “Surgeon of Death” after all. He’s just as bad as any other Mafioso.

Yet he claimed he values life equally. What a hypocrite. “Sorry, Law,” He wasn’t expecting your apology, especially since you avoided those words as if they’d burn your tongue if you uttered them. “but I don’t want to lose this game. I don’t want to lose to him. I had hoped you wouldn’t force me to do this… Now that you have, I can’t go back.”

He turned away from you. “I’m sorry too.” Sorry? What was he sorry about? You couldn’t process it. When he turned around, you got the idea. There was that look on his face, he felt pity for you. “I’m sorry you never had anyone to prevent you from that darkness like I did. While I wish I could say there’s still time to pull you out, I can’t. You’ve sank too deep.”

Laughter. You heard someone’s laughter, only to realise it was your own. Why were you laughing at his words?  They were sad words, were they not? Your defensive mechanism took over and you could only laugh.  

Before you left, you instructed him what his role was and to wear the tiny wireless microphone when he decided to approach Doflamingo so you could follow what was happening. You could track his mobile phone whenever you pleased so you didn’t need to worry about his whereabouts. Despite harsh words and a punch to your face, Law was still the closest thing to a friend. Even though he pissed you off sometimes. Though, that’s what it meant to be friends, so you’ve heard.

You felt bad (just a tiny bit) for lying about the bomb. You had removed that bomb beneath Corazon’s bed a long time ago. Of course, Law didn’t know that. You would tell him about it later, when everything was over.

*****

“No.” The man refused instantly after hearing your plea yet again. He had always been hard to deal with.

As if in a dance, when he took a step back, you took a step forward. It was the only way of making progress. “Mihawk, please. I need you on the team. Do you honestly think I’d beg if I didn’t mean it?”

His hawk like yellowish eyes stared you down. You were glad he was at least thinking about it. The two of you had been sitting at Homra for an hour and still didn’t come to an agreement. “Stop embarrassing yourself. My answer is still no.” He started getting up from his seat, but you caught his arm and pulled him down.

“I won’t take no for an answer.” If you couldn’t get him on the team, then you were as good as done. If any family hired him to kill you, you knew you wouldn’t stand a chance. You knew how to fight. You weren’t weak – far from it. You could handle anybody, but the world’s greatest hitman wasn’t your average anybody.

“What makes you think I’d go along with this suicide mission you’ve thought of? What do I get from it?” Indeed, what would he get from it? You were trying to take down the most influential mafia families in one swoop. You were getting rid of the same men who ask for his services and pay him immensely. Compared to them, what could you offer?

The answer came naturally, presented with an awkward smile on your face. “To kill the time.” The two of you fell into a natural silence. The silence you decided to break. As if needing to confirm your own words and make him believe them, or make the both of you believe them, you repeated. “You get to kill the time. Kill boredom.”

A small smirk presented itself on his lips and he soon burst laughing. It was a genuine laugh, rare coming from him, but pleasant nonetheless. You joined him, earning a few looks from other people in the bar.

“Alright.” He said after the laughter died down. “I’m not fully in yet. Convince me. Make me a believer. What’s your plan?”

“I want to ruin a nation.” The rise of his eyebrows spoke volumes. You thought for a moment he’d say he’s out, but the part of him that got intrigued to whatever crazy idea you’ve come up with nudged him to hear you out. “Kill the president. It would crumble the balance and fuck up the regime. Give a signal to others they’re in danger. It’s possible to do in a month.” Hearing those words aloud made you realise you sounded like a madman, but you continued. “That’s more than enough reason to make the usual Reverie happen before it’s too late.”

He stroked his beard then smiled to himself. “Yes, something like that would turn the attention on you. But is that what you should be striving for?”

“What do you mean?”

He leaned towards you and started whispering. “Think about it. A whole nation ruined just so you could prove you’re smarter than those guys? Sounds to me your ego’s on strike and wants attention.”

You liked Mihawk, you really did. But right then and there, you couldn’t hate him more. Because he made you wonder. Was it really only your ego playing the game here? The chance to prove you’re better than them? You didn’t need to prove anything. Perhaps you still didn’t get over the mafia life you’ve had before? It was frustrating not knowing what the hell was going on in the world, even more so since you didn’t know what was going on with you either. Nevertheless, your plan was already in motion.

“You know me well enough.” You pushed the unanswered questions in the back of your mind for later. “I killed so many people I stopped counting years ago. I don’t personally care what consequences my actions will bring to some nation. To people I don’t’ know or care about. But I’m willing to sacrifice one country and save the rest of the world. There’s no war without casualties, Mihawk.”

A sigh left his lips. You weren’t seeing his point. “That’s the problem. You don’t care. And you’re nothing better than the guys you wish to take down. Try to set aside your pride and ego and see my point of view here.”   

“In the past two years nothing unusual happened at the Reveries. But the opportunity was still there. Opportunity even better than this one, now that you’ve decided to get involved. So why would they act now?” You assumed it was a rhetorical question. You were wrong. “Because three years was enough time to make a whole plan, get the resources they need and for you to get bored of mundane lifestyle. _You_ are the missing piece. _You_ are the one that’ll make it happen for them if you proceed with this.”

No. He was wrong. You weren’t the variable they needed. Their code, as it stood before you joined in, was perfect. By Mihawk’s words, you were just an unused variable, only declared at the begging of the program along the others, but with no use in any function. You weren’t assigned any value and weren’t storing any data, even though you were allocated some memory location. But even such variable would cause an error in the compiler if it were initialized to some other in the middle of the code without any function. The moment you decided to get involved, you implemented the error in their code. But the error wasn’t you, it was the code you wished to force into theirs. And the variable Mihawk thought was you, was your ace.

“You truly were never going to accept my offer, weren’t you?” Mihawk stared at you intently. “God, they work fast.” You chuckled. “So, who is it? Doflamingo? Kaido?”

“Shanks.” He dropped the act realising there was no point in dragging things out. Shanks… you thought the man liked you to a point. It would have taken a while before you guessed it, but he’s not one of the Emperors for nothing. And being Mihawk’s best friend obviously had its perks. You were about to ask for how long had he been hired, but he beat you to it. “Four months. I’ve been hired to kill you for four months now. The only reason why you’re still breathing is because I’ve been told to wait for his signal.”

An exasperated sigh left your lips. The shit you tried to avoid had already been happening for four months. _Fuck! Fuck you, Shanks!_

“They are not playing, (Y/N).” He continued quietly. “You know I’ll finish the job I’ve been assigned.” You clenched your fists. You knew that very well. It’s because you _knew_ you wanted to eliminate the possibility. But since it was already happening, there was no helping it. “They are playing with you because they find you entertaining. Kaido sees this as revenge too. I know it’s hard, but listen to the voice of reason. Don’t meddle with them. You have many acquaintances, but they have more. They’ll win in the end and you’ll die. Get back to the police department and solve other cases. Let this one go.”

“I appreciate your concern, Mihawk, but I was not born yesterday. I won’t let you kill me easily and I also won’t let them win – Kaido or anyone else.” You stood up from your chair. “Though I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to be so obedient.”

“Make no mistake,” He replied as he crossed his arms. “I’ve no interest in their game. I was only offering a word of advice to a woman with little to no options left.”

“Would you bet your life on that?” The tension between the two of you grew. Make him question his own thoughts and you win. Control his way of thinking, make him doubt. The real battle was the battle of the mind. It was the actual battlefield.

Rayleigh was watching the two of you from the corner of his eye. If you decided to brawl in his bar, he’d kick both of your asses. Seeing as he wasn’t about to reply, you did. “Thought so.”

You turned around and walked towards the exit. Next to the doors sat a man with a penguin hat on top of his head. He was reading the newspapers. As you neared a title caught your attention. You snatched the newspapers out of his hands, ignored the “Oi!” he shouted your way and read them. Smoker was able to catch the men who killed Ueno Naoka. You didn’t read through the article, you were faking it, knowing Mihawk’s eyes were on you. After a few moments you returned the newspapers to the agitated man and left the bar.

A smirk played on your lips. Everything was going according to plan. Penguin will pass the encrypted paper to Law, the only man aware of your hacking career, who’ll proceed onto the first stage. Mihawk will tell Shanks of your plan, or he won’t at all. Either way, it was working in your favour. Under the leadership of admiral Aokiji, with your detailed instructions and without Sengoku’s blessing, Rosinante, Smoker, Vergo, Tashigi and Viola will waltz into Red Rum in search of any criminal activities. If everything goes according to plan, they’ll be able to dig something up and interrupt the momentum Mafiosi had set. Well, with the information you had given, the success rate of their mission is 99.99%. You were willing to give it a chance.

And you? You’d destroy Kaido’s main weapon warehouse that very night. The warehouse _you_ designed, the warehouse _you_ decided to build on the docks and legalize it as a fish warehouse. The place you knew inside out.

You stood in front of a shoe store, staring at your reflection. There it was, for only a moment, but you saw it. The person you considered buried five feet under the ground. Staring at you and smirking knowingly.

It was amusing! They were amusing! Everything was amusing! When you finally thought you had grasped human behaviour, you were proven wrong! When you finally thought you had grasped this city, you were proven wrong! There were so many things you still had to discover, so many mysteries to unfold and so many players to beat! A laugh escaped you in the middle of the street, catching the attention of random strangers.

They’re playing with you? The ridiculousness of such conclusion made you smile. No, that’s utter nonsense. Whether they were aware or not, this game they started… won’t even have their worst possible outcome. You were the creator of these games. They couldn’t take a master down so easily.

And if you were already dragging the police and gangsters into this shit, it wouldn’t be fair to leave the revolutionaries out, right? They were an interesting bunch too.

Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

After all, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy. Mihawk was right about one thing. They needed you. But not as a piece of the puzzle. Not as a variable in their code. They needed you as the programmer. And you would make their wishes come true. But you’d make errors. Lots and lots of them.

******

As a programmer, you’ve always been dazzled by the simplicity and value of **if** statements. The ability to control the flow of the program, letting it make decisions on what code to execute because you told it to do so, without anyone questioning your decision. The program would enter a section of code, or wouldn’t, depending whether a given condition was true or false. If it were false, you would use **else** and give the program another task. If multiple conditions would evaluate to true, you’d use **else if** and set other conditions for your program to evaluate – to find the only true one.

The same if statement could apply to humans. The same if statement was applicable in your case for your next actions. If Mihawk told Shanks the plan you’ve come up with, you would pretend to go along with it. Else you return to solving the murder cases and throw off the whole Mafiosi alliance with sudden halt in your pace, especially since you’ve threatened them and shown such interest. Some clues were left behind on the crime scenes and they’d become suspicious. You were certain of it.

If Mafiosi alliance didn’t give a shit and let you do as you pleased, you proceed with operation “Law”. Else if Mafiosi alliance got suspicious of Law and sudden appearance, you proceed with operation “Akainu”. Else you proceed with operation “Betrayal” and operation “Ghost”.

The Revolutionaries would come in handy later. The previous if statements were only an overture for the aria about to take place.

There were still nine hours before your bombing. While you were hacking the security system to find how protected the warehouse was (and eating a hamburger so you don’t starve), you decided to also check hotels in which Mafiosi were staying. They weren’t all stationed in this absurd city so they had to stay somewhere. Granted, the warehouse was packed with security which made your task even harder, but you knew many ways of distraction. You saw thousands of crates on the video cameras which you presumed had weapons and explosives. The large amount of gun powder would make it easy to destroy the place. At the end, the only hard thing was getting in.

As for the hotels, you had expected most of them to use fake names, fake cards etc. Some of them rose to those expectations while some didn’t bother. You found out Bege was staying in Dirty Pleasures, which was across Freedom where Big Mom stayed. That was great! No, it was marvellous!

It was common knowledge Big Mom couldn’t stand Bege because of spilt blood. And that was the first opening they had unconsciously created. They might be an alliance, but the acts of betrayal can’t be forgotten nor forgiven. What they were doing at this point is nothing more but keeping themselves under control. The alliance was nothing more but a mean to put you and the police off. Plus, they had to be wary of each other. Few months back they’ve been at each other’s throat, now they’re cooperating? What a joke!

According to recorded videos, Bege has left his hotel room an hour ago. Big Mom had left her room around an hour ago as well. Probably to some sort of a meeting. Bege left with Vito and four other men. Big Mom left with Katakuri, Perospero, Daifuku and Oven.

You halted. This is too convenient for you. The fact they’re across from each other while others made sure to be at a reasonable distance? A trap perhaps? Didn’t matter. Bege was going to die. If not by Big Mom’s family, then by someone else’s.

800 meters from their hotels was One Piece where Hawkins booked. Hawkins’s family was known by their extremely talented snipers. One of his men stood out the most. A kill like that was easy for him. A kill like that was easy for you too.

Hawkins had left an hour ago, together with his men. The man you were looking for left the hotel ten minutes ago. This was your chance. Hawkins will need more time to arrive to his hotel and you’d have time to get away from the crime scene. You’ve just made more job for the police, but you were going to rid them of one nuisance. You had to prepare fast, though. You didn’t know how long the meeting would last.

The luck was on your side regarding his build. He wasn’t much taller than you and he often wore a cap. His jacket was the usual brown leather one, blue jeans, sport shoes. You could pull this off. It was a good thing you never threw away the clothes you had used before as Mafioso. Turned out you needed it again. Few bobby pins and twists of the hair later and you looked just like a man wearing a cap. Your gloves had to tag along, of course.  

You took a cab to your destination. You’d take the cab when you finish too.

The hotel was bustling with people. Some were in a hurry, some relaxing in the hotel’s café, some eating in the restaurant. You proceeded past the reception and pushed the button for sixteenth floor. You spotted some of Basil’s men on the floor, but no one stopped you nor called out to you. It was faint but you could smell alcohol coming from them. Was there something to celebrate yesterday? Or perhaps Basil thought you’d never come at him in the first place and gave his men some time for fun.

With the application you had made in your mafia days, you were able to unlock the sniper’s room and get inside. You locked the same door, opened the window from where you’d shoot and prepared the sniper rifle for action.  

It was nostalgic! The breeze on your face, your eyes set on your goal, the quickened pace of your heart which gave out your excitement and grin on your face. It was so familiar!

You had been patiently waiting for two hours for Bege to arrive. Those two hours changed to four when you finally noticed through the binoculars limousines in the distance. It was already midnight. They sure took their sweet time. You took the position and calmed your breathing. It was blowing sirocco – a storm might come. You had to account the heat, the wind, the movement of the Earth, humidity, shadows, ammunition characteristics which you had time to inspect thoroughly, scope, your position, breathing, the position of your target after the bullet is in flight. There was no room for mistakes. One shot was all you got.

Bege got out of the car with his men around him. He stopped to give some orders, but the orders never came. You had pulled the trigger and shot him through his head. Bege’s body fell to the floor and panic started around the hotel.

You closed the window you had shot from, returned the sniper rifle where you had found it and got out of the room. Some of Basil’s men were less intoxicated and were already in search of the person who fired the shot. When they noticed you running and called out, with the best male voice you could muster, you shouted how you were going to the lobby to make sure Basil wasn’t in danger.

They believed your blatant lie and didn’t ask anything further. The moment you stepped out, you hailed the cab and got away.

Thanks to their long meeting you had only an hour before blowing the warehouse. You payed the driver and hurriedly got inside your apartment. You quickly changed clothes because time was of essence and equipped yourself with your guns, knives and a lighter, which could come in handy if needed. You made sure to put suppressors on your guns to ensure less noise.

Expectedly, traffic was horrible and you spent 45 minutes sitting inside the car. You cursed the fact this city got so much recognition from tourists. Even if you had gone on foot you would’ve taken just as much time so there was no room for whining.  

You felt a tap on your shoulder. It was Law.

“I got it. Sixteen custom made bombs, just as you asked.” He was truly reliable. That’s why he was crucial in your plans.

“Thank you, Law. Penguin and Shachi are here somewhere, aren’t they?”

The surgeon pointed towards the building behind you. “Shachi will be our eyes until we get inside. I don’t want anyone spotting us and ruining this. Penguin will come with me. If that’s okay with you.”

If he needed help, who were you to deny him? Besides, you going solo was the smartest choice anyway. “No complaints here. Have you been able to prepare other things?”

“Not all of them. I still need some time.” You nodded. It was a bit too much to expect he’d gather everything in less than a day. The fact he got these explosives was satisfactory enough.

Law handed you a backpack with eight bombs inside. He took the other eight. You asked him to take care of the outside of the building while you’d take care of everything inside. You gave him one of your phones so he could watch the video surveillance in case things got messed up. Well, he could watch it to get unnoticed because as reliable as Shachi was, he couldn’t see through walls. You parted ways and slowly approached your targets.

Eight bombs to destroy the fish warehouse, eight to destroy the underground weapon warehouse. The explosion will be tremendous. Just like on New Year’s Eve.

You hid behind a trash container and aimed towards the first guard in your way. To make sure you don’t blow your cover, you’d use your knife. His steps were heavy, breathing laboured. He might’ve been transferring some crates to the underground safe. It was over in an instant. Your knife found itself in between his eyes and his body lifelessly fell on the ground. The thud it made alerted the other guard, which was expected. All guards acted the same. Highly alert most of the time yet they let their guard down for a second when they’d see a fallen co-worker. The same happened right there. Another knife of yours found its target and another body fell.

You’ve expected someone else to come, but no one showed up. Either they were too far away to distinguish the sound or they were waiting for you to get away from your hiding spot. You approached your targets and took your knives back. Leaving them lying there would be troublesome and alerting for others so you decided to dispose of the bodies. They were heavy but you somehow managed to get both of them inside the trash container. You imagined the stink they’d produce with the dead fish, but quickly gave up on those thoughts so you don’t puke.

You were aware that five meters from the doors you were at, was a password protected door which opened one of the passageways to the underground warehouse. Now, the chances of having the previous password unchanged were close to zero. Even if Kaido wasn’t best with technology, there were people in the family who took care of those things. If you sneaked there and got the wrong password, the alarm would go off and your operation would be ruined. You couldn’t risk it that much. You had to find a way to overcome this.

You tried hacking through your phone but it was unsuccessful. You needed your laptop with you. Calling Law and his friends would be useless as well, which meant you needed to get the card to open those doors. Now, which one of the guards has that card?

You payed attention to men who would go inside the restricted area, but since it was past 1 a.m. whatever they had to do was already done. They were only supposed to guard the weapons and nothing more. There was also a chance those who had the cards to open the doors had left the scene before midnight. But that didn’t add up. The guard you killed was tired from lifting the crates which meant they had finished not so long ago.

But how to get inside when you don’t know the password? _Think, (Y/N). Think!_

Blow the doors guarding the underground warehouse. It will create an opening for Law to plant the rest of the bombs and you’d get your access. It was reckless, but you seriously didn’t have time nor energy to think more about it. You had Devil’s luck anyway, so everything would turn alright in the end.

That’s when things got more complicated. The men tensed and straightened up. At the entrance of the fish warehouse was none other than Crocodile. But while it did complicate it a bit, it also made sure guards’ attention wasn’t on you at all.

You used that chance to plant the bomb onto the doors and start the counting. One minute. In one minute, what many would call suicidal mission, would start. You just hoped you’d make it out in one piece.

Crocodile was barking orders at men, yelling how there was no space for mistakes. He didn’t mention anything about Bege’s death, which meant either they weren’t sure you had done it or they didn’t want to spread panic.

One minute was up and the doors exploded. There was yelling, but you didn’t pay any attention. You rushed inside and shot every man in your way. The underground warehouse was gigantic, which was in your favour. They’d find you harder.

You placed bomb after bomb on different locations, hiding among crates when someone came nearby. You managed to contact Law and told him to wait for your signal before blowing the place up. He informed you how Crocodile had stayed at the entrance and hadn’t moved an inch. His pistol was in his hand waiting for you to appear.

“Listen up.” You spoke quietly while reaching the exit. “When I give you the signal, blow up the nearest bomb to Crocodile. He’ll have to move from there if he doesn’t want to die. I’ll use those few seconds to escape.”

“Roger. The route you cleared is still without guards. That’s your best bet.”

“No. My best bet is the sea. The moment you see me get out, blow up every bomb, including mine and get out of here as fast as you can.” Law didn’t protest.

There were still some guards in your way and the shooting started. You were able to kill five men before you, but one managed to graze your favourite coat. That ticked you off.

Just as expected, the moment Law blew one of his explosives up, Crocodile’s attention wavered. You ran towards the door you got in and three seconds later, the whole place vanished. The strong explosion threw you far into the sea and you had to avoid the falling remains of the building. Your ammo was soaked, just as you’ve been, but you couldn’t feel any injuries for now.

You gave your best to reach the shore as fast as possible and hailed the first cab you came upon on. You gave the address and sprawled yourself over the whole backseat. Your breathing was erratic, but a proud smile was on your face. It took you one day to blow their weapon storage and kill one of the bosses. Maybe two if Crocodile got blown up. One day!

“You sure are something… you dammed brat.” The familiar voice made your smile even wider.

“Rayleigh!” A laugh escaped you. “Did Law send you here?”

“The boy was worried for you. Told me you decided to do something stupid. I’ve been here the entire time watching how things would turn out.” A small smile appeared on his lips. “Have to say, I’m impressed. I don’t know by which exactly. Your recklessness or Devil’s luck you apparently have.”

You laughed at the words. “Why not by both?”

A sigh escaped him. “Rest assured, I’ll get you safely to your home. Now, sleep for a while.” You accepted the old man’s advice and closed your eyes.

The ride however wasn’t as long as you had wished it to. Thirty minutes later, you were woken up by Rayleigh. You thanked him and climbed the stairs to your apartment. Once again, just like every other day, you wondered why there was no elevator. And once again, your door was unlocked. So, he was already here.

You entered, leaving the trail of sea water on your floor. You found him sitting on your couch, watching the television and drinking scotch. The guy really felt at home. Though, unlike the first time, it wasn’t as shocking nor disturbing.

“Did you come for another shogi game?” You asked nonchalantly.

“Fufufuufuf…was that your lame attempt at skinny-dipping?” He asked back, nonchalantly as well.

You were still standing in the middle of the apartment, soaked. “Excuse my ignorance. Next time, I’m bringing you with me so you can show me how it’s done.” The usual grin adorned his face.

“Flirting will get you nowhere.” It wasn’t supposed to get you anywhere. It just happened.

“The same way avoiding questions won’t get you anywhere. What did you come here for again?” Since the only reply you got was his usual laughter, you decided to take a shower to get rid of the sea water. And to warm yourself up now that adrenaline had stopped working.

It took you fifteen minutes to wash yourself and get into your pyjamas. Twenty more to dry your hair. When you got out, he was still there. What was his deal anyway?

“I didn’t think you would destroy the warehouse and kill Bege in a single day. Guess the stories about you were correct.” He started. You went to the kitchen to make yourself some tea.

He was waiting for your reply, but you had all the time in the world. You poured the hot water on the chamomile tea bag and waited. “I didn’t kill Bege.” You were serious when you looked him in the ey-, sunglasses. “You wanted to play. I decided to participate. And what do you morons do? Kill each other. Now my perfect plan of blowing the warehouse is overshadowed by Bege’s death. Thank you very fucking much.” You stared at the glass of stock. “And stop drinking my alcohol. Buy your own.”

He was quiet for a moment, then he got up and walked towards you, standing only few inches away. If he wasn’t as tall as he was, you could’ve felt his breath. “Is that so? You’re telling me…” His hand reached towards you face as if he was going to caress it, but you understood the real intention immediately. You dropped the tea cup, pulled him by his shirt towards you and placed your knife at his neck, just as he had caught you by yours with his hand. “you had nothing to do with it?” The shit eating grin displayed how pleased he actually was. But he was close, too close.

His hand didn’t grip your neck, it stayed there as a warning, just as your knife stayed at his. Your lips pulled into a smirk. “Have you drank that much you’re unable to understand my words?”

“Poker.” He replied. So he came for poker tonight. Okay. “That’s why I initially came here and have been waiting for you for two hours. Now, I’ve changed my mind.” His grin got even wider. “Strip poker.” Ah, of course. You’d blame it on alcohol this time and the pervert vibe he totally gave off.

“What’s in it for me?” You replied and as he moved away, his hand slowly let go of your neck.

“Fufufufufu… You get to see me naked, of course.” You had to give it to him, he oozed confidence. “Don’t you dare claim you wouldn’t want to see me naked.”

“And miss the chance to take a picture? To publicly humiliate you?” You countered back. “God forbid!” You laughed.

The spilt tea was forgotten and the two of you took your positions. The game was quick and the clothes were piling up on the floor. You couldn’t track who was cheating more between the two of you. Dofamingo had only his pants and underwear left, while you had your panties and your bra. You were on equal footing. But you had to admit, it was fun. Playing against him was fun.

The cards displayed on the table were two of spades, two of clubs, ten and seven of diamonds. In your hand you had four of hearts and two of diamonds – three of a kind. You didn’t know what he had, but you had a hunch this round was yours.

You looked at him and nodded. As you were about to show each other your cards, you heard the door of your apartment slam. You heard the familiar voice. “Twenty missed phone calls, seventeen messages and five calls on your pager!” In the hallway, with his eyes almost dropping out of their sockets, stood Rosinante.

“What the actual fuck?!” He yelled. You wish you could’ve explained what exactly he was seeing, but there was no point. It was exactly what it looked like. You were playing strip poker with his older brother.

“We throwing cards or what?” You asked Doflamingo. He laughed at the fact you were ignoring Corazon. You’ve set your eyes on winning this, you wouldn’t back down in the final rounds.

Just as you predicted, you had better cards. Doflamingo stood up to remove his pants, but Rosinante interfered again. “Don’t you dare take off those pants!! Get dressed both of you! And you!” He pointed towards you. “Are coming with me to the station. We have load of shit to take care of!”

You were ready to protest, saying how you were about to win, but Rosinante grabbed you and threw you inside your bedroom, telling you to dress up. While you were changing you could feel the tension between the brothers. Goodness gracious, you can’t have an hour of peace in this city.

When you got out, Doflamingo was already dressed and having a staring contest with his little brother.

“Shall we go now? Or are you two not done caressing each other with your eyes?” Doflamingo laughed at your words, while Rosinante blushed.

The older brother was first to find his way to the door. “We’ll finish this some other time. Maybe take it to the bedroom too, fufufufufufu.” You weren’t fazed by his words, but they did bug Cora-san who was always protective of you.

When his brother was out of sight, the lieutenant turned towards you. “Let’s go. We’ll discuss your acts of unprofessionalism later.”

Jealous asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously thanks for sticking with this! <3


	5. Those who serve justice and those who enforce it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally out. I finally wrote it. 
> 
> Thanks for everyone's continuous support and wonderful comments. Also excuse me for such lame notes as I'm writing this at 2:37 a.m.

Being with Rosinante in his car was awkward. His eyes were on the road and a firm grip on the wheel, but even though you were sharing the same ride to the station, he refused to acknowledge your presence. He was truly mad at you this time. While the man didn’t say much, you wanted him to at least scold or yell at you.

You remembered that you haven’t eaten since lunch and were in need of some food. “There’s a McDonald’s around the block. I’m starving.” Corazon sighed, but nodded. _Still no words, huh?_

When you were about to give up on any form of conversation, his deep voice resonated in the car. “What were you thinking dragging Law into this?” His words were calm, as if he were starting a normal, civilized conversation. You knew it was only calm before the storm.

So, he had told him. Of course he’d tell him. And it’s not like you forbid Law to tell Rosinante anything. In all the rush and hoping to set your plans in motion as soon as possible, you had left a loophole which Law used. No wonder he wasn’t as agitated as you had hoped he’d be when you told him Cora-san was in danger. There was no need to.

You relaxed in your seat and sighed. This would be your longest ride to the station ever. “The people I’m supposed to be working with won’t help out. I’m not including you there.” You faced away from him and stared at the city through the glass window. “There’s a limit to how much a single person can do. I need to form a team of my own or I’ll get destroyed by those assholes. Law was the only choice I had.”

A proud smile appeared on Cora’s lips, but disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. You had promised him long time ago to keep Law away from the underworld and now you were doing the opposite. He wouldn’t forgive you easily. “Whatever plan you had in mind, forget it. Law is free from that hell.”

You were still looking at the city, contemplating his words. Law is out? That won’t do. That seriously won’t do. Law is a crucial pawn. There has to be a way to keep him in the game. There has to! He won’t do it out of goodness of his heart, he won’t do it for the sake of justice nor revenge. He won’t do it because Rosinante’s words means so much more than yours! All because of that brotherly bond they’ve established. All because of feelings and-

“Stop it.” His words drew you back to present and your eyes found his. “You have that look on your face again. Law is out. I won’t repeat myself again.” That was his last warning. Whenever Law was involved, Rosinante acted like a completely different person.

You were still deep in thoughts when he handed you your food. You took the bag automatically, even took a bite of the hamburger, but you couldn’t enjoy its taste. What to do now? You felt angry all of a sudden. It was probably your unconscious telling you what you already knew. You’ve just been forced to take ten steps back. It was frustrating knowing that you couldn’t do anything about it. Even more frustrating was not knowing what to do next. How to find equally important variable as Law? _How_ to replace someone like Law?

“Stop the car.” Rosinante recognized the look in your eyes. Pure rage. Only visible when you felt you were losing.

He did as he was instructed and stopped in front of one of the beaches of the city. You left the food in the car and slammed the door. He wouldn’t leave without you anyway. Every time you got angry, you’d stone skip. You had the chance to let the anger out by doing so.

This time you were seeing red. You found a good, thin, flat stone and took the stance. You threw the stone vertically meter and a half above your dominant hand. You breathed out and focused. You were in the zone. The moment the stone was close enough you swung your hand, grabbed it at the right angle and threw it with as much force as you could. The stone skipped around forty times at the water surface.

You threw another one. And another one. And another one. Every time the stone would skip even further. The more you swung, more anger you infused into your swings. You noticed Corazon lighting a cigarette from the corner of your eye and you stopped.

It was frustrating! Frustrating to no end! A whole plan ruined in a matter of seconds!

“Are you done?” His calm voice triggered you again.

“Done?” It was a whisper on your lips. “Done?!” Your voice raised. “Fine! I won’t drag your precious Law into this! I’ll drag the whole damn city if I have to!” You grabbed another stone and threw it. “You damned idealist!”

It was frustrating. Being so limited, kept under watch, untrusted. Someone like Rosinante would never understand. It wasn’t just matter of Law. The moment you stepped foot inside the building, you’d probably be restrained as a threat. Thrown in cell. You couldn’t let that happen. Not before you finish your game.

“Do you honestly think you’ll be able to stop them?! You fight fire with fire, not gasoline!” Another stone flew towards the sea. “Do you even _know_ how exactly mafia operates?! Do you know what exactly is on the line here?! Considering my past it’s a real fucking miracle I’m not six feet underground!” When you noticed he was about to reply, you continued. “Are you going to start another one of your justice speeches?! As if there’s justice in this damned city!” You were panting at that point, letting all of your anger out.

When you turned around he was already standing next to you, his cigarette in his mouth. “I will agree that justice in this city is questionable. No, it’s absurd. Yet again, this whole city is absurd.” He grabbed one uneven stone and showed it to you. “Let’s say the sea represents this city and this stone justice.” He threw it. It skipped two times. “The stone may have skipped only two times, but it made progress. It moved forward. That is how justice works here. We move forward one step at a time.” He truly was a dammed idealist.

“If that stone represents us, then this one…” You took another flat one and threw it. It skipped ten times. “Represents the guys we wish to take down. No matter how we look at it, if we’re all in the same race with the same finish line, they’ll reach first.”

Rosinante hummed in agreement. “That is why we’re holding a meeting so late.” He found a flat stone and picked it up. “In this absurd city with absurd people, we have to keep up with those in the lead. If we can adapt properly,” He swung the medium sized stone and made it skip twenty times. “taking the lead won’t be such a problem.” He smiled at you.

“It all depends on how much you’re willing to adapt then.” Finally calmed down, you were able to make valid points. “I’m not saying the police can’t do it, but knowing and working with you had only proved what I thought before. Police are currently unstable. There’s too many interpretations of justice and different ways of acquiring them.”

“Perhaps. But even if we don’t share the same idea of justice, we all strive towards the same goal. At the end of the day, it’s not about us but about people in this town. They’re the ones we have to protect.” That was the reason why everyone loved lieutenant. His priority were always the people, just like Sengoku’s. Garp’s too.

Moral justice… depending on the situation and crime committed, each should make their own decisions how to deal with the criminals.

Then there was absolute justice which didn’t care for people. All who break the rules shall be punished regardless. Sakazuki Akainu was there in the name of world government to ensure it.

And of course, excessive justice. Anyone who intervenes or is involved in criminal activities, anyone who poses a threat to the world government shall be massacred.

How he thought these justices could work together was beyond you. Alas, if he was willing to give it a try, who were you to stop him? Looking at it objectively, the best way to go would be absolute justice. It was approved by the world government and was effective, as long as lower criminals were concerned and the citizens. Even if you could come to an agreement to proceed with it, _some_ people would still object. Which meant only one thing. You’d all stay there for who knows how long and wouldn’t reach any conclusion. It was hopeless.

There were also rumours that Sengoku would retire soon. If the rumours were true, that would mean one of the admirals would have to take over. Kizaru wasn’t interested in such role, so it was either Kuzan or Sakazuki. If the police weren’t stable before, soon they’d be in the state of civil war. That’s what the Mafiosi alliance were counting on and probably the reason why they haven’t made a move. Mihawk was wrong. You were wrong too. You weren’t the piece they needed, nor were you the programmer they needed. The missing piece was police itself. How did you overlook that? 

“Trust me.” Your eyes found his and a big smile appeared on his lips. But unlike his brother’s, his was reassuring and kind. “You should learn how to trust people. Not everyone is waiting to stab you in the back.”

You sighed. It was hundred years too early for you to start trusting people. “How did your mission go?” In all the previous anger, you forgot to even ask.

“We haven’t found anything. Searched all the places you mentioned, every computer, and still nothing in the end.” He puffed his cigar. What were the odds of them failing? Almost non-existent.

Oh, what do you know? You now had a snitch. “You have a spy in your ranks. Are police capable enough to find him on their own or should I do even that for you?”

A laugh left his lips. “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of that. More importantly, we need to discuss your last courses of action. Over hundred people have lost their jobs in that bombing of yours, not to mention the criminals who lost their lives.” Is there anything Law hasn’t told this man?

“It was a weapon warehouse. What did you expect me to do? Contribute with more weapons?”

“I expected you to come to the station and discuss everything with all of us. You said you’d take the murder cases and you still haven’t solved a single one. Instead, you’ve tripled our work. Also, I don’t know if you’ve already heard, but Bege was shot in front of his hotel.” You wondered if Rosinante heard himself sometimes. You wouldn’t tell him, but the mission you had sent them on was only to see if you had spies in the first place. What you didn’t expect was them coming completely empty handed. The reason your warehouse operation was a success is precisely the fact you haven’t told anyone but Law about it.  

Besides, as if they’d ever accept your plan even if you had told them. “It’s good to know they’ve decided to take each other out. I’ll have less work.”

He shook his head in amusement. “Let’s go. We’re already late as it is.”

Back in the car and eating your food, you started thinking of other possible actions. You could ask Rayleigh to join you, but knowing the old man, he’d decline. He’d say how those days were over for him. If anything illegal was involved, Rosinante and Smoker were out of the question. Those two followed their morals to the T. As far as others went, you didn’t trust in anyone’s capabilities that much. Maybe Vergo. Which meant you’d have to see how this police operation would go and whether they’d discuss that pending mission you’ve discovered.

“I’ve been meaning to ask this for some time, but what are you and my brother doing?” Lieutenant broke your train of thought once again. Well, that question was expected and you were surprised he hadn’t asked from the start.

“Trying to outsmart each other. Why?” At least, that’s how you interpreted it.

Rosinante hummed. “It didn’t look that way to me.” You sent him a glare and he continued. “Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t you supposed to be enemies? I understand that you’re both trying to come as victors in this Mafiosi war. So pray tell, what does strip poker have to do with it?” There was humour in his voice, unlike for the first part of the ride, and you couldn’t help but question what he found so amusing.

“We compete in various games. This time it was strip poker.” When Rosinante sent you a look which said ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’, you explained. Or at least you had sudden urge to explain. “If you thought I would let him win a game of strip poker, you were wrong. Besides, if you hadn’t interrupted I would’ve won.”

“If I hadn’t _interrupted_ , you’d end up fucking like rabbits.” When you were about to protest, he hushed you. “Please, (Y/N). I know my brother and I know you. Besides, you _were_ eye-fucking him. Before you start denying or justifying yourself, it’s okay. I know how good-looking my brother is.” If he were only just good-looking. The man was breathtaking. “And unfortunately, he is your type.”

Your type? Your face must’ve given away your thoughts because Rosinante smiled. “Intelligent, cunning and charismatic. Those are the traits you find most attractive.” You weren’t sure if this conversation was leading to hooking the two of you up or trying to keep you away from his brother.

Intelligent. Cunning. Charismatic. Thinking about your previous boyfriends made you realise you certainly had a pattern when it came to men. Though, none would even begin to compare to Doflamingo.

He was one of the few people who’d willingly play your games. Nonetheless, he never seemed fazed by your threats or your actions. He enjoyed seeing and analysing them in order to counter… to keep the lead. There was also the fact he was tough to read. The man would smile at one moment then come at your throat the other. You’d lie if you had told you didn’t enjoy his company. He made the games interesting in his unique way and his wits and charisma only empathised how much of a threat he was. Doflamingo was so confident in his plan that he let you make your moves without him interrupting. You were certain it was also to further his own entertainment.

And he was hot. Hot as the devil.

You were trying to seem indifferent when he took his shirt off, but you were sure he noticed the way you ogled him. Your eyes traced his strong neck, arms, pectorals and abdominal muscles. He cared about his physique and stamina, that much was evident. You were also sure his muscles weren’t just a product of working out regularly, they were also products of fights. Someone whose bloodlust can be felt miles away won’t just sit and enjoy the show. You wondered what his approach in fights was. He seemed as the type who liked to play with his pray. Someone who got off on manipulating someone and then killing them when they’ve gone insane. Someone who used his brain in a fight but was as ruthless as any wild beast. Truthfully, he was a very interesting man.

You felt Rosinante watching you so you turned towards him. By the worried expression on his face you realised you were showing too many emotions at once. Determination, amusement, happiness, excitement, arousal, delight, bloodlust and passion. “Your brother is really something else, Cora-san. I want to fight him.” You raised your left hand. It was trembling. “Look! I’m so excited I can’t stop shaking!” A light laugh left your lips.

“Honestly…” Lieutenant sighed again. “You know what? You do that.” A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “I think my brother has finally found his equal. It might be unethical, coming from someone who’s supposed to keep peace in this city, but I’m interested how all of this will play out.”

A grin adored your face. “Who are you trying to fool, lieutenant? You’re the same.” Corazon’s only response was loud laughter.

*****

The two of you got scolded for your late arrival by Tsuru. Akainu was in sour mood the entire time but wasn’t yelling as per usual. Kuzan and Kizaru seemed indifferent. Garp was munching cookies. Sengoku listened to everything. Smoker and Vergo were providing ideas for your next course of action. Rosinante, Hina, Momonga, Doberman, Tashigi and Viola followed Sengoku’s example.

Which one? Who’s the spy? What if there’s more than one?

No matter how you looked at it, you were in trouble. If you don’t find the intruder soon, no matter how good of a plan it would be useless. Such leak of information is unforgivable, yet it was still happening. The moment you would mention a traitor you would also create distrust. Distrust leads to failure, but as you stood now even trust would lead to failure. There was no helping it. You had to divide them into two groups.

You raised your head and instantly got caught in Akainu’s stare. He has been watching you from the start of the meeting and his stare never wavered. Not even for a second. “You’ve been awfully quiet for some time now. What are you thinking about, criminal?”

He just couldn’t accept the fact you weren’t locked up. But at least you were sure he wasn’t the spy. “How meaningless this meeting is.” You stood your ground. Now that you had everyone’s attention, you could break it to them. “There’s at least one spy in your ranks. That spy is probably now in this room or somehow listening in. Whatever plan we come up with would be for nothing.”

Tsuru crossed her arms. “Those are some bold claims you have there. And even if they were true how can you prove you’re not the spy yourself?”

She had a point. Out of everyone in that room, you were the most suspicious one. Tsuru’s suspicion was based on facts which were currently not in your favour. Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut. “It’s true that I can’t prove my innocence, but I can offer an alternative. The plan should be discussed between Sengoku, Akainu, Kizaru, Garp and you, Tsuru-san. Everyone else should be a suspect.”

A few officers voiced their displeasure, but you were certain this was the best course of action. You had to devise a new course of action for yourself but at the same time make sure the police were making a progress. If you gave Mafiosi alliance more time to do as they pleased, it would be game over. You elaborated how you sent Aokiji and others to collect evidence against Kaido in order to start a court process against him and that the mission was ruined because of a spy.

Sengoku spoke for the first time that night. “I knew about your mission. Aokiji told me before he left. According to your reasoning, I’m a suspect now too, right?” He had just become.

Since you stayed quiet, Tashigi decided to speak up. “I’m not accusing you of anything, detective, but if I may ask, where were you yesterday? We couldn’t contact you and we probably never would if lieutenant hadn’t gone to your place.” _Just killing Bege and blowing an underground weapon warehouse. It wasn’t that much._

“Paying a visit to an old friend for information. I hit the bar after that.” You knew by their expressions they weren’t buying it. You wouldn’t either. You didn’t have any other choice in the matter. What kind of an idiot would tell the truth?

Rosinante calmly explained. “Please, try to stay as calm as you possibly can. Keep in mind that our enemies already have this information so even if a spy is listening in, I won’t say anything they probably don’t know of.  I want all of us here aware of situation so we can proceed accordingly.” With everyone’s eyes on him, he continued.  “She destroyed Kaido’s underground weapon warehouse. I sent an agent to follow her and that is what he reported back.” You got your answer. Cora-san was helpless, though you should have expected that.

Hell broke loose. “What?!” Sengoku yelled. “Who do you think you are?! Do you know how many lives you’ve endangered?! Crocodile was even reported in a hospital! They’ll never let their guard down now!” _Crocodile was alive? Thank goodness! It would’ve been a shame had he died._

You were in an unfavourable position and tension was almost visible. Thanks to Rosinante, now the police will watch you even more than before, unless they decide to lock you up. Perhaps that was his intention in the first place in order to stop you. Or? If the top ranks are looking at you, they won’t see what’s going behind their backs. He must have a plan of his own! Your theory that he’s not a goody-two shoes just might come true.

“Do you need more evidence to put her behind bars or would this suffice?” Akainu commented from the side, oddly calm.

“Do you know how many people died in that explosion!?!” Tashigi shouted and others joined. In a matter of seconds, the whole room was against you. Since they were all yelling simultaneously, you hardly followed who shouted what. You just hoped this would eventually lead to something.

After twenty minutes of shouting and arguing, there was no conclusion what would happen to you. After twenty minutes of shouting and arguing, only silence followed.

“The Nexon Army will make a move soon. The revolutionaries are also bound to make theirs.” Everyone stiffened at Kizaru’s slow words. “This is also their golden opportunity.”

“Aren’t the Nexon Army only a myth, admiral? A story to frighten new recruits?” Questioned Viola. “Their name is worldwide known, but only few people even know of their real objective.”

Tsuru took it from there. “Far from a myth, dear Viola. They’re a group of thieves which expertise in many fields, primarily in cybersecurity, killing and, as expected, stealing. Their targets are random and have no particular order. Whenever they see a chance to strike, they do. Whenever no one expects them, there they are.”

“Yet they’ve been inactive since their last attack four years ago, the operation Socratic method.” You joined the discussion. As long as you weren’t the main target, everything was alright. “Many think the group disbanded and are now nothing but the myth. Others claim they’ll get back.”

Smoker lit his cigar and let out a puff of smoke. “Were you working with them before?”

You snorted at his words. “We danced a few times and they’d always step on my feet.”

Aokiji joined letting out a sigh. “Trust me, young lady, it would help you more to actually stop talking in riddles. Smoker’s question isn’t that hard to answer.”

“No.” You started to question why would Borsalino even mention the Nexon Army when they’ve kept low profile for four years. They were absolutely uncorrelated to what was happening right now. “They only got in my way few times. The Nexon Army is beyond my domain.”

“Uh-huh. Anyways,” Kizaru continued his story. “Some FBI agents have informed me that cryptic messages have appeared on the dark web. Since they haven’t been decrypted yet, the best culprit would be a member of Nexon Army, the hacker Crypto. The messages may contain orders how to proceed with some new operation. And this situation here is a perfect opportunity for them to use man-in-the-middle approach.”

The MitM approach. An attack when someone surreptitiously puts themselves between two parties, impersonating them. The malicious attacker can intercept and even alter their communication. He can passively listen in, relaying the data or even manipulate the data flow.

The last time you went on dark web, which was four days ago, there were no crypto messages. By the way he spoke, those messages should have been on for some time. Is this the best story he came up with? It was pretty obvious what he was doing. It was known Kizaru spent most of his years in forensics searching for leads to the Nexon Army. He must have felt lost when they disappeared. What he was doing now was searching for your link to them or any information.

“I have no doubt you’ll be the first one to know if they pop out of nowhere.” Akainu commented, figuring out where Kizaru was going. “Unfortunately, we can’t focus on them for now. We have to put _her_ and Mafiosi alliance behind bars first.”

“That won’t do us any good, Sakazuki.” Sengoku reasoned. “I do agree she needs to be put in prison, but she’s also our only key to the underworld. She knows these guys better than we do and we can’t really ignore the fact she’s helped us in solving difficult cases before.”

“How about we continue this later?” Vergo, the voice of wisdom, had spoken. “We’re all tense and aren’t progressing anywhere. We should all sleep on this and return with some ideas.” God bless this man.

“That is our problem, Vergo.” Sengoku was dead serious as he spoke. “We don’t have much time _and_ we aren’t progressing. Since this case went out of hand quickly, I contacted the FBI to help us before we’re facing a national collapse.” He turned his eyes on you. “After this lovely conversation we had, I also decided to put you under temporary house arrest until I permit you to come back. There is something you’re hiding from us and I won’t gamble with lives of innocent people by trusting you. We are not the mafia. We are the protectors of people and law.”

You had to hand it to the man, he was stubborn and blind. He was also wrong if he believed the words he said. “My late grandmother loved animals. She had a whole bunch of them.” You started as he intently watched you. “She was able to protect the animals she loved from whoever tried to hurt them. You on the other hand? You can’t protect shit. Not the people nor the law.”

Sengoku’s glare didn’t waver. It did seem you struck a chord, though. “Vergo will be your surveillance. Touch him and you’ve signed your death penalty. I’m not taking any chances with you.”

Vergo got up at the same time you did. You were about to leave the room when you felt the need to finalise this discussion. “There are players above you, Sengoku. Always have been, always will be. Until you accept that you’re just someone’s puppet, don’t ever think of succeeding in your ambitions.”

Vergo was hot on your tail, catching up to your strides with ease. He instructed you towards his car and you complied. You also noticed a table spoon on his left cheek and told him about it. He seemed indifferent as he took it off. Probably something that happened on regular basis. You were grateful for the silence during the car ride, which also meant you could live with Vergo as your surveillance camera. It got you thinking, however. Why was Vergo one of the few cops you could stand even if you never interacted that much? You couldn’t come up with an answer. Not that it mattered anyway.

As he parked his car, you noticed rain drops on the windshield. That was that storm you expected ever since you felt sirocco blowing. He noticed your hesitation in getting out of the car and asked whether something was wrong.

“I have a date of sorts. He might be in my apartment still waiting, maybe not. What I want of you,” You knew what exactly finding Doflamingo in your apartment would mean. You just hoped you could convince Vergo to stay quiet. “is to promise you won’t report to Sengoku for a whole day starting now. Or at least give him false reports of what I’m doing. I think you do understand that Sengoku’s way of doing things will not be enough.”

You couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but you could tell that you didn’t play your cards right. He wasn’t going to buy it.

“Alright. But when I need you to do something for me, you will do it without questions, just as I’m about to do for you.” _When_. So it was only a matter of time when you’d have to pay back. Was Vergo the spy you were searching for?

You agreed. There was no other way. And if by any chance he was a spy, maybe you could come to agreeable terms or beneficial use of each other. Only time would tell.

It was 5:04 a.m. when you walked inside of the building. You climbed the stairs to the third floor once again asking yourself why the hell there wasn’t an elevator. The door was unlocked, as expected.

You walked towards the living room, expecting to find him sprawled on the couch. He wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the kitchen nor your bedroom. He got tired of waiting and left. But he also took something with him.

Your laptop.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm out of notes and out of my mind XD


	6. Little flirts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been forever since I last updated! A big thank you to all of you who gave this story a chance! And without further ado, I present you _le chapitre_ :D

It didn’t make any sense. Yes, his hackers tried to get into your computer before. And yes, if he wished so he could’ve taken it whenever he wanted, but it still didn’t make any sense. Why didn’t he take your computer?! Why would he take your laptop which you used for personal interests such as videos, photos, etc.? Not to mention, if you can’t breach something, if the information is out of your reach, what’s the point of keeping the machine? Unless Doflamingo wasn’t the one who took it.

Did Law come and took it because he knew something you didn’t? Someone from your old associates? The possibilities were endless. Yet it left a sour taste in your mouth since it was _your_ precious laptop.

“Are you still thinking about your missing laptop?” Asked Vergo, who sat across from you, while sipping his morning coffee. Since there was nothing more you could do in your apartment except search for some clues, if you could count dust as a clue, you took him to Homra. The rain had stopped some time ago, the smell of wet leaves entering the bar every time the door would open… It was tranquil.

“About the person who took it, actually.” It was just a laptop. That’s all it was. “Say, Vergo…  You were there on the scene of the first murder. Was there anything that caught your eye?”

“I wasn’t dispatched on any scene that night. I was dealing with the murders of previous week.” You sipped your coffee and payed attention to his words.

Another regular entered the bar and sat on his usual spot. “I meant the first murder this month, professor Clover. I’ve seen the case is still open.”

Vergo took another sip of his coffee. “Yes, it is. There were little to no evidence on the scene, further investigation led me nowhere and the few DNA samples I was able to get my hands on were compromised.”

“Have you found out who compromised those samples?” Vergo shook his head. “Who was working on the case of Fisher Tiger?”

Without a second of thought, he responded. “Smoker. His evidence was compromised as well.”

Fisher Tiger, a Nobel prize winner for peace, and professor Clover, a fighter for human rights and an archaeologist interested in modern history who was supposed to hold a presentation of his newest findings. Fisher funded the Oharan library in its search for knowledge and truth. Their connection, the death of Niko Olvia in Alabasta and Doflamingo’s commentary how you got almost every murder solved, means you were right. The ones who compromised the evidence and the ones who committed the murder are CP0 – the government’s assassins and carriers of excessive justice. Whatever they found out, the government deemed fatal.

With that being said, every archaeologist in the world who died in the last month was probably murdered by the ones who were supposed to protect them. The other half of the dead were people who tried to interfere with Mafia and officers who were snooping too much. Was Sengoku aware of all of that? It didn’t matter at the moment.

Three types of murders happened in the last month – political, personal and accidental. The least important in your case were accidental. Ueno Naoka’s death was the result of an accidental one. There was no previous planning, no previous hate or reason for her to die. It just happened because few hooligans wanted to try out something new. Political and personal were hard to differentiate. There’s always a little bit of personal in every political, but no political in every personal murder. Wakamura Ito would be a personal murder. A drug dealer killed by one of his buyers who couldn’t pay for a new supply. Ishikawa Satoru, a political murder. He knew things he shouldn’t have. If you were to split all the murders into these three categories, the political would prevail.

You might have not realised it from the start, but the city of Tronio turned into an actual battlefield right under your nose. But with the current information you had, you weren’t sure which one was the lesser evil. Who do you side with? Do you even side with anyone?

You had to think carefully about your next moves for they could decide the whole outcome. Should the public know what was happening? Should the Reverie attendants be notified about the Mafiosi plans? There were pros and cons for each and neither led to a potentially good outcome. Should the Revolutionaries be brought into this game or should they stay aside? Will they join in regardless of everyone’s actions?

“I swear,” Rayleigh walked to your table and sat on the free chair. “you look gloomier every next time you come here. If you need an ear, I’m always here to listen.”

A sigh escaped you. “Thank you, Rayleigh. It’s just…” You drummed your fingers on the table. Yeah, what was it that was making you so troubled? “Some crazy things at work.”

A light laugh came from Rayleigh. You noticed he took Vergo’s attention too. “Aren’t crazy things at work normal for you?” Yes, yes they were in a way. But this time it was different. You had trouble deciding which was the right side. While your moral compass didn’t work properly every time, you never had trouble picking a side you’d join.

Seeing a troubled expression on your face, Rayleigh let out a sigh and took a calm approach. “There was a young man looking for you. Came after midnight.” That got your attention and made you push your thoughts in the back of your mind. “He was interesting, to say the least.”

“Did he carry a laptop with him?” Priorities first.

A puzzled look appeared on the old man’s face. “No, he didn’t carry anything with him.” He might have left it in the car, you mused. Knowing you your whole life, Rayleigh was aware of your thoughts. “Came on foot to my bar.” That answers that.

Vergo seemed interested in the story as well, whether to pass the information to Sengoku or for his own amusement you didn’t know.

“He said you owe him a game.” So, it was _him_. A smile appeared on the old man’s face. “Haven’t had such a nice conversation in years. Yes, many would probably call him weird because he wears sunglasses even at night, not that I haven’t seen weirder people in my life, but he’s truly an intelligent young man with interesting theories.” Rayleigh then winked at you. “He’s a keeper.”

You might have wanted to defend Doflamingo’s sunglasses when he mentioned them earlier as weird, but were actually glad you kept your mouth shut. It would just give the man the wrong impression. “That was Doflamingo. He’s my enemy.”

Rayleigh burst out laughing, slamming his hand repeatedly on the table, unable to get a hold on himself. When he was finally finished, he thanked you for a good laugh saying that he needed it and wiped a single tear from his eyes.

“You actually dare to call him an enemy.” He almost started laughing again. “Enemies don’t talk highly of each other nor do they play games. They cut each other’s throat the first chance they get. I might be out of that kind of business, but you can’t claim that the things have changed so drastically.”

No, you were enemies. Definitely. “He’s a worthy opponent.” Rayleigh burst out laughing again. “Intellectually!” His hand started banging the table again. “Would you stop!? There’s nothing wrong with respecting someone! I respect Crocodile too!”

Barely grasping any air, he continued. “Oh, I bet. Strip poker is such an intellectual game to play. I can tell you were waging lives that time.”

He told him.

Whether it was from embarrassment, the fact the strip game became a gossip everyone seemed to know of, some other reason you didn’t understand or everything combined, you felt your cheeks burning.

“Strip poker?” Vergo gave the finishing blow. You got KO’d.

With your head in your hands you pleaded Rayleigh to forget about that. He in return told Vergo everything the bastard told him. You had to admit, Doflamingo was quite descriptive. And you found out the things you wish you hadn’t found out. You might have wanted to get in Doflamingo’s head before, now you wanted out.

Halfway through the story you grabbed Vergo and told Rayleigh you had work to do. You remembered Crocodile was in hospital and thought you could work something out with the man. You got into Vergo’s car, waited until he reported to Sengoku where you were headed and drove in comfortable silence. You just might die if Vergo decided to pry further about your and Doflamingo’s undefined relationship.

“There might be some benefit if the two of you ended up together.” Vergo broke the silence. “He might open up to you and we might get a good lead for some cases or even better, stop the possible war from happening.” Always the rational one.

You had to disagree with him, though. “Doflamingo is smart and cunning. He might try to use the relationship the same way. Besides, even if he didn’t, I just don’t see him as someone who’d crack because of a fling.”

Vergo’s lips turned upwards for a tiny bit. “So, you admit you’d be the one spilling the beans?”

The audacity of this man! “Absolutely not! I’m a professional.” You had to make sure Doflamingo didn’t come over any more. He was too dangerous.

Vergo hummed and gave up on any further conversation. You arrived to the hospital shortly after, explained to the receptionist who you needed and took the elevator to Crocodile’s floor. When you entered his room, you were surprised to say the least. The man looked perfect. Too perfect for someone caught in an explosion.

Crocodile’s stern gaze was on you and it didn’t take a genius to understand he didn’t wish you there. “As if I didn’t have enough lunatics to come and see me.”

“No hard feelings for what happened, right?” Crocodile grunted. You weren’t sure what to make of it. “Why are you still here?”

“Trauma.” He said it coolly as if it were the most normal thing. Was he cracking a joke? Or was he serious?

Crocodile took out his cigar and lit it up. The window was open, but the fact he could do as he pleased even in a hospital didn’t sit that well with you. It showed how much power he had and how he didn’t give a crap about anything someone might say. “Did you come to make some sort of a deal with me? I give you information, you look through the fingers. Others have already tried, mind you.”

“I was hoping you’d give me something without asking for any favours. For the old time’s sake and favours I’ve done before.”

Crocodile’s deep laugh resonated around the hospital room. “There’s no such a thing as free favours. I’m willing to share what I know in exchange for your expertise. All of your expertise and your team’s.”

He wasn’t playing around, that was sure. “That’s a lot to ask when I don’t even know how much your information will help me out. Are you planning to finally take down Whitebeard?”

“That dying old man? I’ll eliminate him later. But for now…” You could feel the killing intent his glare sent. “I don’t want to see world government enjoying victory!”

So, it truly was the downfall of government they all wished to see and why they acted together. But Crocodile’s words also confirmed what you expected – they’d fight it among themselves later until one remained on the throne. Crocodile was a brilliant man. He must’ve already had a plan in his head. That made you conclude that he was fully aware that even if you were to help him out, he had something in store to blackmail you with to ensure you didn’t do any harm to him or his plans. Whatever it was, it was important.

“Fufufufufu…” You could recognize that laughter anywhere. “What is this, Croco-man? Are you trying to stab us in the back?” He stood at the door arrogantly with the usual grin on his face. But even behind that smile there was something sinister.

Crocodile only appeared irritated at the newcomer. “Don’t interfere, Doflamingo. You want to die so badly?” A short laugh left Doflamingo’s lips, apparently not at all fazed by the man’s words. As if it was a normal occurrence between the two.

You then remembered Vergo was with you. You looked at him and noticed the usual calm posture, as if those were his best friends and not enemies. You got his attention. “I knew there was something that made me like you so much and I finally figured what. No matter the situation, you’re so cold you put even ice to shame. I approve.” Vergo nodded and you heard the man in a suit (which you had to admit looked goddamn good on him) laughing.

Turning around, you went up to him and grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the room claiming you had to talk.

He didn’t resist, only laughed. “She just loves the D.” He told the two men as a parting line.

You noticed an empty room and led him inside. Your hands on your hips, his smile on his gorgeous face, you started the rant. “I though you knew people finding out that the two of us hang out would be a bad thing. Yet, something so rational and logical is beyond you. Why on Earth would you tell everyone, especially Rayleigh that we played strip poker? And in such details with comments you should’ve kept for yourself?! The man basically raised me, so it’s equivalent to telling a father how you’d do his daughter! Why couldn’t you talk about the shitty cards you had or something?!”

He listened carefully, not interrupting for a moment, but the grin stayed on his face. “You were lacking clothing so it was hard for me to focus on the cards. And I think you should be flattered by my comments of your physique. You _are_ a beautiful woman.”

You couldn’t believe him. Your mind was in a frenzy. “I should smash your skull.”

He smirked as a response, taking a step and getting closer to you. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

You didn’t back away, but were quite ready to grab the first thing that came under your hand and hit him with it. “One more word from you and I swear.” You flat out threatened him.

He came even closer, leaned in and whispered in a husky voice. “Let’s be honest. We both know how and where we wanted that game to end. It’s such a shame my little brother had to interfere. Fuck, just thinking about it makes me hard.” The warm breath tingling your ear, the sexy way he said the word ‘fuck’ and a warmth you felt down _there,_ made you unconsciously lower your gaze towards his groin. “Made you look down, didn’t I?” The fucking bastard.

“I was just checking if the stories claiming there was nothing to get hard were true. They were.” You clipped back, caught in the dance only the two of you shared.

He seemed to be enjoying himself. “How about you touch it and see for yourself? You can only be sure from your own experience.”

As tempting as that may have sounded, it was time to break it to him. “No, thank you. Also, since were already having this discussion, I need to inform you that I forbid you entrance to my apartment from now on. You are not getting in, got it?”

“The eyes can mislead, the smile can lie, but the lock always tells the truth. You want me to get in, figuratively and literally.” Smooth, asshole.

“Oh, wow! If locks are such a turn on for you, you can get them in the closest brothel. I figure you’re introduced with locks on the sale there.”

“Yes, but I asked for the cheapest and they gave me your name.” No, he didn’t! Dayum, he did! That was a good burn. A really good one. You couldn’t help the teasing smile on your face. You were having as much fun as he was.

“Interesting. When a friend of mine asked for the manwhore with the largest keyhole they mentioned your name. Size of Grand Line if I remember.”

Without missing a beat, he replied. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

“Oh, God…” You weren’t sure to be flattered or offended that he thought you were alike. All things considered you’d take the former.

“That’s what you called me in my fantasy too. Do you think you could repeat that? A little breathier and moanier?” The grin was back on full display. The little flirt. If it weren’t a battle of wit at the moment, you just might’ve jumped his bones.

Two could play his game. You took a hold of his tie and lightly pulled to lower him to your eye level. Without breaking eye contact, because you were aware how intently he watched you under those shades, you repeated the words in a breathier and moanier voice. “Oh, God…”

The smile fell and his blond eyebrows raised in surprise. His trance didn’t last long since his body suddenly stiffened and with a deeper, rougher voice that you’d like to hear more often replied. “Fuck me, you actually did it.”

Your core would clench every time this man said ‘fuck’ that you actually thought of recording his voice just to listen to it. The things this man did to you. “No, I’ll kill you.”

“Fufufufufu… you little flirt.”

A loud bang was heard on your right and a second later an older man appeared from what you assumed was bathroom. “JUST FUCK ALREADY!” You exchanged a look with Doflamingo, silently telling him that you thought the room was empty. The smirk on his face gave you the impression of a snide remark he silently sent your way.

The old man wasn’t bothered in the slightest, continuing with his opinion. “In my time, we’d go on a date, give women flowers, compliment each other and go dancing, but now! Now you call each other whores! I don’t understand you young people! Truth be told, this is the best thing that’s happened the whole week, but come on! Hook up or however you call it.”

You apologized to the senior awkwardly and left the room hastily. You wanted to pound your head on the wall. You almost jumped his bones in a hospital during your working hours. It would have been wonderful had Vergo came searching for the two of you and found you in a compromising position. What were you even thinking? And why were you suddenly so illogical? Moments before you came to realisation how dangerous having him around was, and few moments later you were flirting with him. You’ve been in relationships before, but whatever was going on between you and that bastard was getting out of control.

“You still owe me a game.” With his long strides it wasn’t a surprise he caught up easily. “Billiard sound good to you? The winner asks the loser three questions which they must answer truthfully.”

“That’s the final game I’m willing to play with you.” He roughly grabbed your arm and turned you to face him. You immediately noticed the frown and a vein popping on his forehead, just as you assumed he grabbed Crocodile’s and Vergo’s attention.

“Don’t tell me you’re unable to keep your personal life separated from professional! Just because we screw around doesn’t mean I won’t kill you the moment you give me a proper reason!”

You fired back immediately, a frown settling on your features as well. “I don’t have time to screw around with you!” You forcefully tugged your arm and freed it from his grip. “Besides, what’s your family for if you need to entertain yourself with strangers? It must suck to have such a boring, useless family.”

Another vein joined the first and you knew you crossed the line. His hand manifested around your throat and forced you backwards into Crocodile’s hospital room, all the way to the open window. You tried to grab his throat, but your hands were too short for that. As he bent your spine over the window and kept pushing you further to fall from the fifth floor, the only thing you could do was muster all the adrenaline driven strength in you and try to punch him hard enough for his hold to loosen. With your first arm tightly gripping his, your dominant arm was long enough to reach his face and your punch connected with his jaw. Suddenly, the both of you were yanked back by Vergo and Mihawk who also managed to separate you.

“Stop doing my job!” Mihawk sternly told Doflamingo who was wiping blood from his broken lip. “What am I even payed for if you’re the one who’s going to kill her?” While you gasped for air, you could tell your neck would be bruised soon. And from where did Mihawk pop out?

“Why did you stop them?” Crocodile mused while smoking his cigar. “Should’ve let them kill each other.”

Vergo stood in front of you, ready to defend you should Doflamingo attack you again. “We should head out. We can talk to Sir Crocodile some other time.”

“Are you out of your mind, Vergo?” You rasped out brandishing your knife. “There’s no way I can let this slide!”

You heard security running down the hall towards the room. You returned the knife to its place and glared daggers at Doflamingo. He glared back with equal intensity. “Guess you’ll just have to let it slide this time.” Mihawk commented.

Vergo reassured the security that everything was under control and called for you to accompany him. You defiantly, and with sense of superiority, locked eyes with Doflamingo. “You see… you think you’re untouchable. Thanks to that I found _your_ error. _Your_ own little weakness.” By the murderous grin on his face, you were assured he recognized the words he told you first time he came to your apartment.

The time for games was officially over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plays Golden Kamuy's ending song (Hibana - The sixth lie) aka official "cliffhanger of the week" song of the Spring 2018 season. 
> 
> Feel free to tell me what you thought of this piece! If you found some errors or feel like something wasn't explained properly, please let me know so I can fix it :) Love ya, guys!


End file.
